The Girl With Two Faces
by TMNT-Queen
Summary: She ran away a year ago to protect them. Now, against all odds, they've been reunited. There's only one problem. They don't know that it's really her. And now, with her two worlds colliding, Alexandra must make a choice. Tell the turtles who she really is and risk losing them all over again, or keep quiet and put them all at risk? Alternate Universe.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

Four brothers stand outside of a small southern diner, their eyes sad and their bodies weighed down by exhaustion. They look nothing alike, but there's a way that they stand that is very similar.

The one that seems to be the oldest has medium length black hair and deep blue eyes, and his face is slightly lined, though he can't be more than twenty-one at the most. He's dressed neatly in a blue hoodie and brown jeans, which he's paired with grey sneakers.

The red-haired teen standing next to him has electric green eyes that are alight with a spark which seems to come from deep within him. His hands clench and unclench at his sides as if he's angry about something. He's wearing a red t-shirt underneath a black leather jacket, black jeans, and red converse.

The tallest brother has long brown hair that reaches the collar of the purple button-down shirt that he's paired with khakis and brown shoes. His chocolate brown eyes shine with intelligence and curiosity, but he seems tired and saddened by something.

The fourth has shaggy, sandy blond hair that curls down to the nape of his neck. He's bouncing up and down in place with excitement, which is clearly showing in his baby blue eyes. Although the temperature is only about sixty-five degrees, he's dressed in a t-shirt, Bermuda shorts, and flip-flops. A pair of white headphones hang around his neck. His face is freckled and stretched in a wide grin, giving the impression that he's always cheerful.

"This is the last chance, guys," the black-haired teenager says, his voice weary. "If she's not here, we'll never find her. She's gone."

"But she has to be here, Leo!" the blond one replies, his cheerful look fading for a moment, replaced by a deep sadness.

"We have to face the very real possibility that we'll never see Alex again, Mikey," the brown-eyed one tells his brother gently.

The fourth teen is silent, but his hands clench into fists and he scowls. Just as Leo opens his mouth to say something, Mikey's stomach rumbles loudly.

"I'm hungry," Mikey admits, shrugging ruefully.

The leader sighs. "We just ate a few hours ago. We have to see if she's in there, and then we'll head back home."

"But it's, like, _forever_ until we get home! We're in Tennessee!" the youngest insists. "Please? Please, please, _please?!"_

Leo glances at his other two brothers. "What do you guys think? Donnie?"

Donnie smiles sheepishly. "I'm hungry, too." He glances at his green-eyed sibling. "What do you think, Raph?"

Raph just shrugs, refusing to say anything. Leo sighs again. "Fine, then. We'll go in, get some dinner, scope out the diner to see if Alex is in there, and then we're leaving."

"But we haven't checked out the town yet," Mikey protests. "C'mon, Leo, please? You can't give up yet!"

"Let's just go eat," Donnie interrupts. "Then we can decide what to do next. Sound like a plan?"

Mikey nods, the cheerful smile returning to his face. Leo leads the way into the small diner with Donnie close behind. Raph still says nothing, the scowl remaining, but he follows his brothers sullenly.

Immediately, the four are greeted by a smiling blonde woman in an apron and a flattering green sweater. "Welcome to the Down-Home Dixie Diner," she says, her southern accent warm and inviting. "We'll be with y'all in just a moment."

"Thank you," Leo replies politely as she disappears into the kitchen. His deep blue eyes are constantly moving, searching for the petite blonde they're looking for. Without luck, Leo gives up and turns to Donnie, shaking his head slightly.

Donnie's shoulders sag, but he nods. They knew the odds of finding Alex in the diner weren't good, but none of them had wanted to face the reality that they would never see her again.

The blonde woman in the green sweater returns from the kitchen. "Alrighty, y'all. Let's getcha seated and taken care of." She leads them into a corner booth and hands them a few menus. "My name is Annie. There'll be a waitress out to help y'all in a minute."

Annie disappears again, and the four brothers are left to wonder what they should eat. As if on cue, Mikey's fingers start tapping out a beat onto the clean wooden tabletop. Donnie looks up from the GPS he's trying to modify. "Mikey, quit it!"

The young, disguised turtle immediately stops. "Sorry, D," he apologizes. Donnie just rolls his eyes and goes back to his project. Not a moment later, Mikey's leg begins to bounce, as if he can't sit still for even a second.

Behind the menu, Leo's eyes never stop moving, constantly looking for signs of trouble. He doesn't miss the way the other patrons are warily watching them.

A man in the booth next to them leans over to his companion. "Ex-cons," he whispers. His friend's eyes widen and they hurriedly pay and leave.

Leo sighs. While the pleasant southern diner is full of people, there's no sign of the one they're looking for.

Raph hears his brother exhale and nudges Leo's foot under the table. The oldest glances over. Raph's eyes hold a silent question. With a heavy heart, Leo shakes his head. Raph's face falls and he swallows hard.

"I'll be right back," he mumbles. "I need to use the bathroom." He scoots out of the worn booth, avoiding his brothers' gazes in hope that they won't see the tears that sting his eyes.

But they all know. Mikey's face is sad. "She's not here, is she?" he asks quietly.

Leo sighs and sets down his menu. "I just...I don't understand why she'd do this to us. To Raph."

"I'm sure she had a very good reason," Donnie replies. His tone, however, is doubtful.

Just then, a waitress appears beside their table. Her long brown hair is pulled back into a neat ponytail, bringing the focus onto her blue-rimmed glasses and sparkling blue eyes. For a moment, her face shows a spark of recognition and surprise, but she covers it up quickly.

So quickly that Leo and Donnie wonder if they imagined it.

The waitress smiles and pulls out a notepad. "Hi, y'all. My name is Sandra. What can I get for you?"

Donnie sets down the now gutted GPS device. "Well-"

Mikey's face is split in that trademarked grin once more. "Do you have any sweet tea?" he interrupts, his own cheerfulness growing as she smiles. The young turtle pretends not to notice the fact that Donnie is glaring daggers at him.

"Of course we do," Sandra replies warmly, her eyes bright.

"We'll have four glasses of that, then," Leo says.

"Four teas..." she mutters as she writes it down. "Anything else for you, sugar? Appetizers? The sweet butter rolls are amazing."

Mikey makes a puppy-dog face at Leo, who sighs. "Sure."

"Great," Sandra says readily. "I'll go get those for y'all. Be back in a few."

On her way to the kitchen, she narrowly avoids a collision with Raph. His reddened eyes make no connection with hers as he mumbles an apology and slumps into the booth again.

Mikey watches Sandra's reaction, but it's not what he's expecting. Her expression grows compassionate and her eyes fill with tears. She rushes back to the kitchen, holding a hand over her mouth.

The youngest turtle frowns. "Did you see that, dudes?" he asks the others.

"See what?" Donnie asks.

"The way Sandra acted just now, when she bumped into Raph."

"Nope," Leo replies.

"Sorry," the genius says absently, toying with the GPS again.

Mikey's brow furrows. "It's like she recognized him or something..." he murmurs to himself, fingers tapping once again. Suspicion dawns in his mind, but he says nothing more.

 **Author's Note: I had to update this for two reasons.**

 **1) I didn't put a disclaimer. Well, I think we all know that I don't own the turtles, but since there could be legal ramifications if I don't add this...I don't own the turtles.**

 **2) There might be some questions about how the turtles appear human. (Someone knows who I'm talking about, wink wink.) I'm going with the technology that does that. As of right now, each turtle is wearing a watch (cliché, no?) that Donnie created. The watches have to be recharged every week or so, but it'll keep them looking human for a while.**

 **3) I'm going to try to keep the romance to a minimum. There'll be a lot of action in the first and second parts of the story. (The romance will be more towards the end - I haven't really planned that far, but I know some great writers that just let the words flow. I've done that before too, much to the chagrin of my uncle, haha. He likes things planned out (and I've tried, but sometimes writing things twice gets boring).**

 **Thank you for reading my story! :D**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own the turtles. I only own Sandra and the rest of my characters. Sadly, all the turtles and their universe are owned by Eastman and Laird, Viacom, and Nickelodeon._

 **Chapter 2**

In the kitchen, Sandra pulls off her apron, leaning against the wall. Her eyes are closed to the tears that threaten to spill down her cheeks.

 _They found me._

"Sandra?"Annie's voice snaps the brunette out of her trance. "You okay, sweet pea?"

"I'm fine," Sandra replies shakily, trying to clear her head. "I've just got a bad headache coming on." Not a lie. Her head is beginning to pound, sending fiery pain shooting down her neck.

Annie's expression is sympathetic. "Why don't you head on home, honey? I'll take over table six for you."

The waitress smiles weakly. "Thanks, Annie."

"Not a problem, darlin'. After all, you work plenty hard all the time. Much more than any of us clock in normally," the blonde adds, her grey eyes sparkling in amusement.

With a sigh, Sandra gives her boss a quick hug and hangs up her apron. "Here's the order for table six," she says, handing Annie the slip of paper.

"Thanks, sweetie," Annie replies. "Now, you go home and get some rest. Go on, now. Shoo."

Sandra laughs. _Not_ a good idea. Her head pounds harder and she winces. "See you tomorrow."

"Unless your head still hurts," the woman says firmly. Her eyes soften. "Take care of yourself, Sandra."

"I will," Sandra promises. Then her mind switches to a different topic. One that she hopes will get her out of having to see the four men seated at table six again. "Is the employees' entrance still closed off?"

Annie nods, sighing. "They're still unloading the food and other supplies. The whole back hallway is blocked off. You'll have to go out the front."

 _Unfortunately,_ Sandra thinks. She hugs Annie again and thanks her, heading out of the kitchen. Sandra grabs her bag from the hook on her way out, and then makes her way through the stream of waitresses and people in the front part of the diner.

She can feel someone watching her. When she turns to look, Sandra finds the blond teen staring unabashedly at her. She swallows, ducks her head, and leaves the diner.

 _He doesn't know...he can't know._

With her heart beating rapidly, Sandra begins the long walk to her house on the edge of town.

Mikey's brow is furrowed as his mind tries to work through everything. First, the fact that Alex is nowhere to be found, not even in the last place that they looked. Second, the strange behavior of the waitress, Sandra. She acted like she knew Raph. And the way that she just left the diner, avoiding his gaze, seems pretty suspicious. Finally, the way that Raph has barely said three consecutive words together since they started this trip. He hasn't been angry, he hasn't been yelling, he hasn't been threatening to pound Mikey. All he does is sulk.

And Mikey doesn't like it.

The youngest brother sighs and puts his headphones on, closing his eyes and laying his head down on the table. The smooth beat of a pop song fills his ears, helping him relax.

He doesn't see Annie coming towards them, her tray laden with a large bowl of butter rolls and four tall glasses of sweet tea. Leo clears his throat, but when that fails to get Mikey's attention, the leader delivers a sharp kick to his brother's shin.

"OW!" Mikey yelps, jerking upright. "What the shell-"

Then he notices that the eyes of everyone in the restaurant are on the four brothers. Mikey laughs sheepishly. "Nothing to see here!" he calls out. "Just...go on about your business. Go on." Donnie and Leo groan, Donnie facepalming. "Sorry," Mikey mumbles, taking off his headphones.

Annie laughs a little and sets the tray down where his head had been. "It's all right, sugar. Y'all look tired. Been travelin' a lot?"

Donnie sighs and takes a tea from her hand. "Yeah. We're looking for a friend."

"Maybe you've seen her?" Mikey asks hopefully. She's a blonde girl with green eyes, about five feet four inches tall? Likes to wear red a lot?"

The woman shakes her head, setting down a tea in front of Raph. "Sorry sweetie, I haven't."

Raph, who'd been silently staring out of the window, suddenly realizes something. "What happened to Sandra?" His voice, while rough from disuse, is understandable.

His brothers stare at him in shock, but Annie gives a wan smile. "She had to go home. Her head was aching."

"Is she okay?" Leo asks, swallowing his astonishment that Raph actually spoke out loud.

Annie sighs. "I hope so. She gets headaches a lot. Just doesn't tell anyone. She works harder than the rest of us do here. Clocks in when the diner opens, and closes up at night. I pay her a little extra for that."

"Why does she work so much?" Donnie asks curiously.

The blonde's eyes grow sympathetic. "Her daddy died a few years back. She's never gotten over it, I reckon. She works herself so hard to keep from thinkin' about it. I don't think she gets any sleep."

"Doesn't she have any other family?" Leo presses, his expression concerned.

Annie shakes her head. "No. Her momma left the two of them when Sandra was a little girl. It'd just been her and her daddy since then. When he died...she didn't have anyone else."

"Dude...that's rough." Mikey's voice is full of shock. "We should go see if she's okay."

"I have her address if y'all want to go over there and check on her," Annie offers.

"Thanks," Leo says warmly. "We'll do that."

"Right after we eat," Mikey adds, grabbing a roll.

 **Author's note: Hey, guys! If you're still reading this story, I am so very grateful to you.**

 **Notice that I put the disclaimer at the beginning? Haha.**

 **Also, I know that some of you might think it's a little strange that Annie would just give away an employee's information, but it's a fictional story. It could happen. (Plus, it helps move the story along. XD)**

 **Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** _Still don't own them. Still wish I did._

 **Chapter 3**

The four Hamato brothers walk along a dirt lane, silent but constantly on the lookout for any threats. Even as they walk, they're relaxing more and more. Raph isn't looking as sullen as he did in the diner, Donnie is curiously inspecting the plants around them, and the tension is beginning to leave Leo's shoulders.

Finally, Mikey breaks the silence. "It's kinda...peaceful."

He's right. For once, there are no villains looming at them from the shadows, no robots waiting to jump out and attack, no evil aliens trying to take over the world. Just a few red-gold leaves blowing around on the side of the path, giving evidence to the near end of summer.

Donnie nods, agreeing with his younger sibling. "No one is trying to kill us. It's a nice change."

Leo hates to admit it, but he knows that they're both right - and that all four of them really needed this time away from the frantic New York pace. As much as he knows that they should be on their way home right now, part of him almost wants to stay.

By the time that they reach the address that Annie gave them, it's nearly dark outside. The four stand, gaping, in front of the little two-story house. By the look of things, it hasn't been repaired in a long time. The shutters on the front windows are coming loose from the siding, the porch is almost overgrown with weeds, and the house itself is in desperate need of a good repainting.

"This can't be the place," Leo says, thoroughly confused. "Maybe Annie was wrong."

"No," Donnie contradicts. "She said she'd been out here about a year ago to visit." However, his tone gives evidence of his own disbelief.

"It's really been let go," Mikey whispers. As he's speaking, the wind picks up, making the shutters bang on the side of the house. The teen screams and grabs Leo's arm. "Aah!" Leo stares at his younger brother long enough to make Mikey uncomfortable. "Eh heh...You been working out?"

"I wonder if anyone even lives here anymore," Donnie says, deliberately changing the subject. For a moment, everyone is quiet again, as if trying to hear if anyone lingers inside the aging structure.

"Only one way to find out," Raph mutters, breaking the silence. Ignoring his brother's stares, the hothead presses the reset button on his watch. Immediately, there's a flash of bright light and he's back to his original form: a buff, light-green-skinned turtle that's slightly on the shorter side, dressed in knee and elbow pads and white gauze wrappings. A blood-red mask accentuates his fiery green eyes. Raph's three-fingered hands move automatically to the twin sai on his belt.

The hothead pulls out the two weapons and spins them. "Gotta love the ol' red and green," he says, offering his brothers half of a smile.

With a nod to Mikey and Donnie, Leo follows Raph's example. Soon, everyone is in their original turtle forms. Leo is wearing a blue mask that matches his deep blue eyes and stands out against his emerald green skin, and twin katana are strapped to the back of his shell.

Donnie is by far the tallest of the four. His violet colored mask complements his olive-green skin. The resident genius reaches over his shoulder and pulls his Bo staff out of its sheath, twirling it. A satisfied grin appears on his face.

Mikey is the last to change. But as soon as he changes, his blindingly bright smile is the first thing that's visible. Mikey's bright orange mask contrasts vividly with his baby-blue eyes and grass-green skin, making the freckles on his face stand out. The youngest turtle fingers the nunchaku on his belt, sighing contentedly. "Man, it's good to be back."

Leo suddenly realizes something, his eyes widening. "Where's Raph?"

" _Psst_!" The red-clad turtle is crouched underneath a window on the side of the house, his expression both annoyed and impatient. "It's unlocked. C'mon."

A look of pure exasperation crosses Leo's face, but he follows his brother into the house. They creep through each room, trying to make as little noise as possible.

Except for Mikey. The resident klutz accidentally slams his toe into the leg of a coffee table and yelps, his gaze turning pained.

Raph smacks him. _"What part of 'be_ _quiet'_ _don't you understand?"_ he hisses.

 _"The 'quiet' part?"_ Mikey supplies haughtily.

Leo turns around and glares. _"Shut it, you two!"_

 _"There's no one down here,"_ Donnie whispers, ignoring the argument behind him.

 _"Even if there was, Mikey probably scared them off by now,"_ Raph mutters.

 _"Upstairs,"_ Leo orders quietly.

The four terrapins finally have luck when they open the fourth door upstairs. The still form of a sleeping girl is lying in an old bed, the blankets drawn up around her ears.

Seeing this, Mikey giggles. "She's so _cute_!"

"Shh!" the others warn. Raph smacks Mikey again, and Mikey winces.

But it's too late. Sandra shifts, muttering. Her eyelids flutter open...to see the four men from the diner in her bedroom.

She screams. "What in the...?!"

Leo holds out a hand to her, releasing the reset button on his watch. "Take it easy, Sandra. Annie sent us to check on you."

Slowly but surely, the brunette calms down. She flicks on the light and the four brothers - in human form - squint in the sudden brightness.

Sandra rakes a hand through her brown hair and pulls on her glasses. "Why would Annie send y'all here?" _In the middle of the night,_ her tone implies.

"She was worried," Mikey says easily.

The girl sighs. "She doesn't need to worry about me. I'm just a bit tired, is all."

"She said you've been working yourself pretty hard," Donnie puts in gently.

Sandra's blue eyes flash with something like annoyance and she climbs out of bed, putting on a light green robe over her t-shirt and sweatpants. "Annie tends to exaggerate a little."

Mikey eyes her curiously. "Where are you going?" he asks.

Sandra manages a small smile. "I'm going to give you New Yorkers some Southern hospitality," she explains. "Follow me."

Twenty minutes later, the guys are all sitting in the living room, groaning.

"I ate too much pie," Donnie moans, holding his stomach.

Mikey lets out a huge burp, then grins sheepishly when everyone stares at him. "Sorry. My compliments to ze chef," he adds, baby blues gleaming.

Sandra's eyes sparkle and she laughs softly, collecting the pie plates and tea glasses from the coffee table. "Thanks, Mikey."

Raph is curled up in the armchair, his eyes shut in a peaceful sleep. He mutters something and shifts position, and the blanket that he'd pulled over himself falls to the floor.

Sandra smiles - a bit sadly - and picks up the warm cloth, tucking it around the turtle once more. Her hands linger on his arm a little longer than necessary before she steps away and picks up the dishes again.

This time, both Mikey _and_ Donnie notice her movements, but neither says anything. Leo doesn't see it because he's also fighting against the pull of sleep.

But the leader forces himself to stand and shake off the weariness. "We should go," he tells his brothers. "Sen- _Dad_ will be wondering where we are."

Sandra seems not to notice his hesitation. "Oh...well, I appreciated your company," she replies, her voice disappointed.

Just then, a massive thunderclap shakes the house. Raph's eyes fly open and he launches himself into a defensive stance. Seeing Sandra's raised eyebrow, he smiles awkwardly. "Heh...had a nightmare."

The brunette moves to the window, seemingly accepting his answer. Her expression darkens when she looks through the glass. "This'll be a big storm. Meteorologists didn't predict it correctly."

Donnie looks concerned. "Will we be able to get home?"

Sandra shakes her head. "Not in a squall like this. Looks like y'all are stuck here for the next few days."

"Yes!" Mikey cheers. When Leo glares at him, he laughs nervously. "I mean...darn. That's...that's a real shame."

Without another word, the leader turns and goes upstairs, his eyes every bit as stormy as the weather outside.

Knowing that Leo won't make them leave, Raph sighs contentedly and settles back into the chair. Mikey heads to the kitchen to find another snack, putting on his headphones once again, his head immediately bouncing in time with the beat. Donnie stands next to Sandra and watches the rain beat against the window, the rushing of the water the only noise in the otherwise silent room.

But what none of them are aware of is the fact that the next day, something will happen that will change their worlds forever.

 **Author's note: I hope this chapter was long enough...I know that I ended the chapter lamely, but I couldn't think of another way to do it, really.**

 **Also, am I fleshing out the characters enough? I'm trying to accentuate each turtle's characteristics as much as possible (and even the argument between Mike and Raph was different from the original so that I could).**

 **What do you think is going on with Sandra? If you guys have any ideas, I'd love to hear them!**

 **Please review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** _I have not, nor will I ever, own the rights to the turtles. Unless you count the many DVDs I own. Do those count?_

 _Raph: No, Franken-Creepy. Thanks fer tellin' us that ya got videos of us doin' who knows what.  
Me: Didn't think so._

 **Chapter 4**

Sandra doesn't know what woke her, but when her eyes flutter open, she can see that it's still dark outside. Rain pounds hard against the window, and thunder rumbles somewhere close. The clock next to her bed reads 1:00 AM. The brunette groans and rolls over...coming face to face with someone in a dark mask.

Before she can scream, the Foot soldier clamps one hand over her mouth and nose, and the other he places on her throat. "Quiet, Miss Baughman," he warns. "Wouldn't want the freaks to hear you, would we? It was hard tracking them down - we lost a lot of sleep over it. But it will be worth it when we gut them and serve turtle soup to Master Shredder in their shells." With a grin that Sandra can see through the mask, the soldier begins to squeeze her throat, blocking her windpipe.

Sandra is struggling to get oxygen to her starving lungs, but her head is spinning, her vision fuzzy from lack of air. Her eyes roll back into her head and she passes out.

 **The next morning...**

Leo's cerulean eyes open slowly. He yawns and stretches, working the kinks out of his muscles. _I am never sleeping on that couch again,_ the leader thinks, stiff from sleeping on the sofa all night. He walks into the kitchen to find his brothers sitting at the table, looking hungry.

"Look who's finally up," Raph grouches, an annoyed look on his face. "Sleep long enough, Fearless?"

Leo glances at the clock on the stovetop and his eyes widen. " _Nine thirty?!_ What the shell?!" Normally, the blue-clad turtle is awake around 4:30 for early meditation and training. However, with the search for Alex, combined with the heavy rain still pouring down outside, his internal clock shut down. His body finally got enough rest to recharge itself.

Donnie is fiddling with yet another project that he stored who-knows-where, and Mikey is drumming on the table again, staring longingly at the stove.

"Where's Sandra?" Leo asks.

"Still sleeping, I guess," Mikey replies. "I wish she'd get up, though. I'm _starving,_ dude!"

"You're _always_ starving, Mike," Donnie puts in, giving his brother a look.

"Well it's way worse this morning, D! Not even the pie helped!" the youngest wails.

Leo's mind is still fixated on what Mikey said. _Still sleeping?_ "Didn't she say she was normally up before seven?"

"Six thirty," the genius replies absently, his mind on his project again.

Raph is catching on now, his brain shaking off the last vestiges of sleep. "So where is she, then?"

The leader moves towards the stairs. "I'll go check on her. Mikey, start making breakfast. If she _did_ sleep in, she'll probably be hungry."

A smile instantly appears on Mikey's face and he starts digging through the fridge. Raph grumbles something like "gonna be eating freakin' scrambled eggs again."

With a shake of his head, Leo climbs the stairs towards Sandra's bedroom. A knock on the door goes unanswered. "Sandra?" Leo calls softly. "Are you awake?"

As each minute passes with no response from inside the bedroom, the terrapin's uneasiness grows. He tries the door handle, and it rattles in place.

Fully awake now, his system pumping with adrenaline, Leo shoves his shoulder against the door. The old wood creaks, bending inward. One more shove and it gives way entirely. He isn't prepared for what he sees.

The room is a mess. The bedcovers have been torn off and thrown across the room. The curtains are ripped and a chilly breeze blows rain in through the shattered window. Papers and books lay on the floor, their pages ripped and water-soaked. Sandra is nowhere to be seen, but in her pillow are a knife...and a note. Hands shaking, the terrapin picks up the sheet of paper. A bright red symbol glares at him from the top of the page.

Leo feels the blood drain from his face and he runs back down the stairs, taking them two or three at a time. "Guys!"

Donnie appears in the doorway, Mikey and Raph behind him. Their weapons are drawn. "What is it?" the genius asks worriedly.

In answer, his oldest brother holds out the note with shaking fingers. "They took Sandra."

 **Author's note:**

 **Oh,** ** _snap!_** **What's gonna happen to Sandra? Why did the Foot take her? (That one's obvious.) Will the turtles get to her in time? (That's obvious too. There wouldn't be a story without her...or would there? Mwahahaha-**

Raph: Seriously?  
Me: What?  
Raph: Evil laugh?  
Me: Shut up. Let me do my thing.  
Raph: ...your thing is evil laughter?  
Me: No, my thing is leaving my readers with a big cliffhanger. Deal with it.

 **So that's it for this chapter, guys! I hope you're still enjoying this story.**

 **Please REVIEW!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** _Still don't own them._

WARNING: There are slightly suggestive themes in this chapter. Nothing too strong - nothing happens, really - , but I wanted to give you guys fair warning so it doesn't just jump out at you. (Personally, I hate when that happens.)

 **Chapter 5**

Pain flashes through Sandra's mind and her eyelids flutter weakly. She moans softly and forces her eyes open...

Only to find herself strapped to a table, her wrists held in place above her head by rough ropes. Her ankles are similarly tied to the end of the table. The clothes that she'd previously been wearing are gone, and in their place are thin white shorts and a matching tank top.

What she can see of the room around her isn't much. In front of a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows stands a desk with many controls on it. Above her head, a giant glass fishbowl is suspended, and green liquid glows within.

Then she sees the man in the corner of the room. He rises and walks towards her, his face partially shadowed. But his menacing grin is easily visible as he leans over her. " _Kon'nichiwa,_ Miss Baughman."

"W-Who are you?" Sandra asks timidly.

"My name is Hebi. I am the Commander of the Foot Soldiers." Hebi's grin never leaves his face.

"What do you want?" Her voice is growing stronger now.

The man leans closer, so much that she can smell sashimi on his breath. "I only want one thing, beautiful one. You."

At this, Sandra pulls desperately at the ropes even as Hebi reaches towards her shirt and lifts the hem. All that she succeeds in doing is making the cord slice into her wrists. Warm blood trickles down her forearms, and she bites her lip to keep from crying out.

The commander's hands are cold on her bared stomach, and Sandra squeezes her eyes shut, knowing what's coming but unable to stop it.

Then the door flies open, much to her great relief. Hebi quickly jerks the tank top back down, turning to the entrance of the room with annoyance. "What is it?" he snaps.

The Foot Soldier flinches. "My lord, the Fulci twins are here with the shipment."

Hebi's eyes narrow and he glances back at Sandra, who glares at him with as much venom as she can muster. "I will be there eventually. Make them wait."

"B-But my lord, they said that they were being followed by the _kame."_

"You are certain?"

"Hai."

Sandra notes with no small amount of satisfaction that Hebi's whole stance begins to reek with the scent of fear. _Serves you right._

Hebi's hands clench and unclench at his sides. He leans down next to Sandra's head again. "I will return shortly, Sakura. And you _will_ be mine." The commander presses a sloppy kiss to her lips, making her eyes widen. After a brief moment, he pulls away and flashes a sinister grin. Then he follows the Foot Soldier out of the room.

Sandra gags at the memory of his wet, slug-like mouth on hers. _I have to get out of here before he comes back._

But the ropes are as strong as steel, and struggling against them is useless. Hot tears threaten to spill out of Sandra's eyes, and she blinks them away. She's trapped. Unless...

Years ago, someone had taught her to use a special power of telepathy that she had received through the experiments of certain people called the Kraang. If she can use that telepathy to contact Leo and his brothers... Sooner or later they will figure out, of course, that she isn't who she pretends to be. That, in fact, Sandra Baughman does not exist. But it's a risk she'll have to take.

The brunette inhales slowly, closing her eyes and clearing her mind of everything. Then she pictures the beloved turtles that she gave up a life with all those months ago.

 _Ra-_

"Psst!"

Sandra jumps, her head turning. Her eyes widen in surprise. A giant green hand immediately covers her mouth.

"Shh! It's me. It's Donnie." Behind a violet mask, the genius's liquid brown eyes are apologetic. "I'm going to remove my hand now. Don't scream, okay?" Sandra nods, eyes still huge, and Donnie takes his hand away.

Sandra takes a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. "Y'all are turtles?" she asks, shocked. The shock is real, though not for the reason they think. "What are you doing here?"

"We're here to rescue you," Donnie replies.

"We?"

Behind the purple-masked turtle, Leo and Raph appear. Raph's eyes glint white in the dim lighting of the room. Leo pales when he sees the position that Sandra is in, the ropes holding her down.

"Did the hurt you?" The leader's voice is low. Dangerous.

Sandra shakes her head quickly. "No. At least, I don't think so. I can't remember much."

"I'll take a look at her when we get home," Donnie promises.

"But I don't understand," the brunette interrupts. "How...y'all are all turtles?"

"Explanation later," Leo says, pulling a blade from his wrist wrappings. "Rescue now." He reaches for the rope around her wrists, and the cold knife slices easily through the bindings.

She winces and rubs her wrists, trying to ignore the sticky drying blood on her arms. "Thanks," she murmurs. He nods acknowledgement, working on her ankles. Soon enough, she's free.

That's when the door slams open.

 **~TMNT~TMNT~TMNT~**

Hebi doesn't register the turtles for a moment. Then his face transforms into a mask of shock and hatred. He pulls a gun from his hip holster. "Freaks," he spits.

Leo and his brothers reach for their weapons, but Hebi points his gun at them. "The next one who moves will find a bullet embedded in their skull," he snarls, his lips turning up in a vicious smile. Immediately, the terrapins freeze in place.

"What do you want?" Raph growls.

"I want to watch you suffer," Hebi replies coldly, his smile growing.

Sandra is motionless, her heart pounding. Out of the corner of her eye, there's movement in the shadows. A flash of orange and green.

 _No._

The commander sees Mikey, too. His gun traces the youngest turtle's movements. At this close range, there's no way he'd miss.

Squeezing her eyes shut, the blue-eyed girl makes her choice. Everything happens between heartbeats.

 _Beat._

Mikey's name is torn from Sandra's throat in a scream.

 _Beat._

Sandra lunges at Hebi, her arms outstretched.

 _Beat._

He jumps back in surprise, eyes wide. His fingers squeeze the trigger.

The gunshot echoes through the room, and for a moment, time stops. Sandra's hand is shaking as she reaches down and touches her left side. Her fingers come away slick with blood.

Sandra stares at the crimson stain, then her gaze travels up to meet Leo's. She collapses onto the floor.

"No!" Leo runs to Sandra's side, not caring about the blood that soaks into his kneepads and smears across his arms as he tries to staunch the flow from her injury.

In a fit of rage, Raph launches himself at Hebi, whose eyes widen in fear. The commander throws himself backwards, away from the furious turtle. To no avail.

Donnie drops to his knees next to his oldest brother, taking over. "Leo, give me your mask." The genius takes the cloth and applies pressure to the gunshot wound. The blue fabric quickly becomes dark, almost black, with blood. "We need to get her out of here!"

"Back to the Lair," Leo finishes. "Mikey, grab Sandra. We'll guard you. Raph, that's enough!"

The red-clad terrapin shakes his head, clearing the fog of anger from his mind, and turns away from the cowering, bleeding commander of the Foot. "Let's go," he snarls, wiping his sai on a scrap of cloth torn from Hebi's robe.

The four turtles disappear into the darkness with the unconscious girl in their arms, hoping against hope that they can save her.

 **Author's note:**

 **Ooh, tension! This was actually two chapters that I spliced together. I figured it would be too short otherwise, haha.**

 **Please let me know how you guys are enjoying it - review! :D**

 **Until next time, guys!**

 **~TMNT-Queen**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer** _: I still don't own the turtles._

 **Quick Author's Note:** The guys all have their own demons to work through right now. In this chapter, each turtle is trying to work through some form of guilt about the situation. Prepare for some bro fluff.

 **Chapter 6**

"How long is she gonna be out?" Raph asks, staring at the pale-faced brunette lying on the cot in front of him. They had gotten out of Foot headquarters and back home before she bled out. But in the three days since then, she hadn't moved. At all.

Donnie takes a deep breath. "Theoretically-"

Leo crosses his arms. "I don't want theories, Don. It's our fault that she's lying there right now, and I want to know how long it'll be that way."

The genius turns away, helplessness pounding through him. "I-I don't know, okay?!" he yells. "Is that what you want to hear?!" The two older turtles are taken aback at the rare display of his temper. Seeing their response, Donnie sighs and rubs his temples. "I just...I'm trying, Leo. I really am. But there are some things that even _I_ can't do."

"We don't expect you to save the world by yourself, Don," Leo murmurs, laying a hand on his brother's shoulder. "That's why we're a team. I was just going to ask if there was anything I could do to help."

Donnie shakes his head immediately. "There isn't." He sits down at his computer and starts typing. Leo sighs and moves for the door, taking the hint.

Raph, however, stays behind for a little while longer. His gaze moves from Sandra to Donnie, sitting at the desk with a pained expression. "How bad is it?" the hothead asks, his voice low.

The second-youngest turtle swallows before answering. "At this point...either she wakes up or she doesn't. Without the proper equipment...I mean, _Kraang_ , Raph, we don't even have human blood to give her! If she doesn't make it, it'll be my fault-"

"Whoa, there, Don." Raph holds out a hand. "She's not gonna die. And even if something happened, it wouldn't be your fault. Where the shell did that come from?"

"I just..." Donnie raises his hands helplessly. "I feel...responsible, I guess. Leo's not wrong. If it weren't for us, Sandra wouldn't be in this mess right now. She'd still be at the café, serving customers in happy oblivion."

In a rare show of emotion, the red-banded terrapin puts a hand on Donnie's shoulder. "But if we hadn't gone to that café, she would still be there having headaches and mourning the loss of her dad. Think about it. Did she say anything about a headache while we were hanging out with her?"

"Well...no, but-"

"I don't think that she would change anything," Raph adds. "It was her choice, Don. She decided to sacrifice herself to save Mikey. And we shouldn't blame ourselves for that choice."

Donnie gives his brother a weak smile, some of the weariness fading from his face. "Thanks, Raph."

Raph's own face splits in a gentle smile. "C'mere, shellhead," he says quietly, pulling Donnie into a quick hug. As the hothead releases Don and leaves, he can't help but notice that the genius sits up a little straighter, as if a load has been lifted from his shoulders.

But as soon as Raph steps foot outside of the lab, his keen hearing catches the sound of someone crying. Brow furrowing, he follows the noises...and finds himself in Mikey's room. "Mike?" Raph says, a touch of concern evident in his voice.

The youngest turtle jumps, wiping at his face. "Oh, h-hey, Raph," Mikey says thickly. His eyes are tinged red. "What's up?"

"You were crying." It's a statement, not a question. "Why?"

He forces a laugh. "No I wasn't. I was just...um..."

"Mikey," Raph interrupts, kneeling down next to him so that he's at eye level. "What's wrong?"

Mikey's face crumples, the fake cheer disappearing. One of his hands moves to his left side. The exact spot where Sandra was hit.

 _Oh_. Raph suddenly understands.

The youngest turtle is silent for a long moment. Finally... "Do you think she'll hate me?" he asks, almost inaudibly.

For the second time today, Raph finds himself shocked. "Why the shell would Sandra hate you?"

"Because it should've been me," Mikey replies, his lower lip trembling. "I should've been the one on that cot, not her. She...she had everything she could want, Raph. And because I screwed up again, it's all been taken away."

"Mike," his older brother says gently. "Look at me, bro. She won't hate you. It was her choice. She wanted you to live." Raph grows quiet for a moment. "And we did, too. Trust me, when I saw that scumbag pointing a loaded gun at your head, there was nothing I wanted to do more than rip out his spinal cord and shove it back down his throat. But I wouldn't have gotten there before you got hurt. Sandra did. Obviously, she had a reason."

"I don't want her to die," Mikey whispers. His baby-blue eyes fill up with tears again. "She's just so...so _still_ , Raph."

"Hey. She's not going to die, okay?" Raph is well aware that he's repeating what he said to Donnie, but Mikey needs to hear it too. "Sandra seems like a really strong girl. She won't let something like a little bullet stop her from living."

"But-"

"Why don't you do something for her for when she wakes up?" Raph asks, knowing that Mikey is less likely to be sad if he has something tangible to do.

Mikey pauses. "What do you mean?"

"Make her a card or a video or something," the hothead explains. "I think she'd like that."

For the first time in a few days, the youngest turtle begins to smile. "Okay," he replies. "I'm gonna make her the best get-well card ever!" As he starts digging through the bins of art supplies in his room, Raph lets out a small chuckle.

The red-clad turtle heads for the dojo, realizing that he needs to take out some pent-up frustration on his beloved punching bag. Yet when he gets into the training room, it becomes apparent that he won't be punching anything anytime soon.

Because the punching bag is occupied. With every strike, Leo lets out a grunt. But there's something that's even more disconcerting than the fact that Leo is using Raph's bag. Leo hasn't wrapped his hands with tape or gauze. His bare skin makes smacking sounds on the leather, and Raph winces.

Leo is hitting the bag hard enough to make his knuckles bleed. And yet he doesn't stop. Cries of pain and anger are tearing themselves from Leo's throat by now. Eventually, Leo stops, falling to his knees with the bag swinging in front of him. Blood streaks down his wrists from his injured hands.

"Raph walks over, crouching down in front of his oldest brother. "Sounds like you need some sparring time," he says quietly.

Leo's head jerks up, and weary cobalt eyes meet electric green. "Raph...how long were you standing there?" he whispers.

"Leo-"

"How long, Raph?" Leo repeats.

"I saw all of it," Raph admits. "Bro, you need to talk to someone about-"

As if he expected that answer, the leader immediately stands up, turning away. "Don't worry about it," he says sharply. "I'm fine."

"No, you're not. You didn't even wrap your hands up."

Leo sighs but doesn't walk out. "What do you want, Raph?"

"I want you to talk to me." Raph really isn't used to showing this much emotion at once, but they all need to talk to someone about the current situation. "Please, Leo. I'm...I'm worried about you."

That makes the eldest stare at the hothead. Raph's eyes are full of nothing but concern. Another sigh escapes Leo's mouth and his shoulders sag. "Okay," he whispers. "Let's spar."

"Raph pulls the sai from his belt. A small smile appears on Leo's face and he draws his katana. A moment of hesitation and then they begin a deadly dance of skill.

"So what's up?" Raph asks, dodging Leo's attack.

"I'm just worried about Sandra," the leader explains, his eyes filled with pain. "If something happens, Raph...it'll be on us. I don't want a civilian hurt like that."

"I know," the hothead says. "But Don's got this. He's stabilized her. Nothing will happen."

"I hope you're right."

"I know I'm right." The smirk on his face is teasing. "And I also know that I win." Raph takes an opening and quickly disarms Leo, pinning him to the floor.

Leo grunts, trying to get up. "Okay, okay! Get off!" The red-clad turtle laughs and helps his brother up. Leo smiles, punching him on the shoulder. "Jerk.

"Nimrod."

"Lightweight."

"Gak-face."

A laugh bubbles up out of the leader's mouth. "Thanks, Raph."

"You're welcome, Fearless."

As the blue-banded turtle leaves the dojo, Raph sighs quietly. _You're getting soft_ , he chides himself. Yet that night, dinner is more lighthearted than it has been in days.

Splinter gives his second-eldest son a proud look. _Thank you_ , his eyes seem to say.

Raph just nods his head, but a warm feeling settles in his chest as he looks around at his brothers. _Maybe it's okay to be soft **once** in a while._

 **Author's Note:**

So what did you guys think? Did I do okay? I know it's not often that you get to see Raph's soft side, but I kind of wanted to highlight that part of him. Also, I think that they all needed a little fluff time. ;)

Please review!


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** _I still don't own the turtles._

 **QUICK AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Buckle up, guys. This chapter is going to be one bumpy ride. Also...WARNING. THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS MAJOR FEELS.

 **Chapter 7**

It's dark. And cold. So, so cold.

 _Am I dead?_

Sandra certainly feels dead. But then where is everyone else? The people that she should see when she dies?

Without warning, there's a flash of something, a buzzing in her ears. Then pain. So much pain. It hurts to think, to breathe.

Sandra does the only thing she can. She screams.

 **~TMNT~TMNT~TMNT~**

Donnie is almost asleep when the screaming starts. The bloodcurdling shrieks fill his ears, startling him out of the peaceful state he'd drifted into. He falls out of his computer chair, landing with a jolt on the hard lab floor.

The others run in, looking worried. Leo helps his brother up off of the floor. "What is it?" he yells over the noise. "What's wrong?"

Donnie scrambles over to Sandra's cot, laying a finger on the side of her neck. He pales. "Leo, you have to do the Healing Hands."

The leader's blue eyes narrow. "What?" he asks incredulously. "You know that's only for emergencies." Master Splinter had all but forbidden his eldest from performing the Healing Hands once he realized how much it sapped Leo's strength. Leo had been forced to complete the ritual during battle once; the arduous process had greatly depleted his reserves and almost gotten him killed.

"This _is_ an emergency," Donnie says desperately. "If you don't, Sandra is going to die."

Seeing the pain in his brother's eyes, Leo relents. "Okay," he agrees quietly.

"What do we do?" Mikey asks, needing something to distract him.

"Mikey, go tell Master Splinter what's going on. He needs to know. Don, watch Sandra's vitals. Raph, hold her down." Leo's expression is grim. "If this goes wrong..."

The red-clad turtle nods, moving to the head of the cot and placing his hands on the writhing girl's shoulders. Donnie stands on the other side, and Mikey runs for the dojo.

Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Leo begins. "Rin. Pyo. Toh. Sha. Kai. Jin. Retsu. Zai. Zen. Rin. Pyo. Toh..." A glow starts to spread from Leo's hands outward over Sandra's body. But already, there is a fine sheen of sweat on the leader's forehead. His teeth are gritted, and pain lances through his head. Nevertheless, the blue-banded turtle carries on.

Despite Leo's efforts, Sandra's pulse and breathing rate are plummeting. Her face is beginning to grow pale, and her screams are becoming shorter as she runs out of air. "Leo!" Donnie cries frantically. "You need to hurry!"

But the mantra is taking its toll, and Leo is running out of energy. The twenty-year-old summons one final burst of strength, yelling the last few words. "Rin! Pyo! Toh-"

Suddenly he's out of energy, and the radiance fades from his hands before he can say the final word. Leo collapses onto the floor, his chest heaving, eyes shut tight as agony slams into his mind. He is dangerously close to passing out. But Donnie doesn't see any of this.

Instead, his attention is focused on the brunette in front of him. Sandra freezes, mid-scream, her eyes as wide as dinner plates. A strangled noise tears from her mouth, then her face relaxes, her head dropping to the side.

Donnie there in an instant, his fingers placed on her neck once more. The genius's expression becomes alarmed. _No._

"Don?" Raph asks uncertainly.

Yet Donnie can't bring himself to say it. He can't tell them that for all of Leo's efforts, for the sacrifices they all made...it doesn't matter. None of it does.

He can't tell them that they failed.

Then, so softly that the purple-clad turtle barely hears it, Leo whispers something. _"Sha."_

Sandra gasps, drawing in a huge breath. She starts coughing, choking on air. Donnie's whole body floods with relief and he helps her sit up. "Easy, Sandra. Just breathe."

The brunette winces as her coughing fit subsides. "What...what happened?" she croaks.

The genius gives her a small smile. "Well, actually-"

"Leo!"

Raph's cry of fear sends icy tendrils shooting into Donnie's heart. When he looks over, his blood turns to ice in his veins. Leo is slumped against the wall, unconscious, his skin a sickly green color.

"What's wrong?" Donnie asks, rushing over.

"I-I don't know," Raph replies, green eyes filled with panic. "Ever since that scumbag Wolfe, Leo's been tired after doing the Healing Hands, but not like this. Don, his pulse is so weak."

"He's burning up!" the genius exclaims after feeling his brother's forehead.

"What is going on in here?"

Both Raph and Donnie snap to attention as Master Splinter enters the lab, Mikey not far behind. Sandra squeaks at the sight of the six-foot-tall rat. But Splinter's attention isn't focused on her.

His eyes dilate at the sight of his eldest son, and he hurries over, checking Leo's heartbeat. The ninja master inhales sharply. He looks at Donnie. "What happened?"

Donnie swallows before answering. "I asked him to do the Healing Hands, Sensei," he admits guiltily. "It was the only thing that could save Sandra's life."

Splinter closes his eyes, suddenly looking much older. "I had hoped that this would never happen," he murmurs.

"What is it?" Mikey asks, all the usual cheer gone from his expression. In its place is a worried frown.

The aging rat lays a hand on Leo's brow, choosing his next words carefully. "Your brother's spirit is fading."

"What does that mean?"

Splinter's shoulders sag. "He has used up too much of his chi. This is why I do not allow him to perform _Kuji-kiri_."

"B-But Master Splinter," Raph protests. "His chi is the strongest out of all four of us! There's no way he used it all up!"

The rat bows his head. "When you willingly give of your chi to save someone else, the energy takes longer to replenish itself. Combined with the fact that Leonardo's chi was forcibly taken from him once... It is much harder for him to recover from performing the ritual."

"That's why Leo got so weak that time," Mikey gasps. "He used his chi up on Raph, and-"

Raph lets out a growl. He always hates to be reminded that he was cause of his eldest brother's near-death. "Shut it, Mikey!"

"What can we do?" Donnie asks, hopelessness surfacing in his chocolate-brown eyes.

"Yeah," Raph continues. "Can't we go to the astral plain and help him out or something?"

Splinter shakes his head. "No, my sons. We are not strong enough to undertake that journey. All we can do is hope and pray."

"And if he doesn't get more chi?" Sandra asks hesitantly. Donnie and Raph jump, having forgotten that she was there.

All eyes turn to the brunette. "If Leonardo's chi does not replenish," Splinter answers gravely, "Then he will never wake up."

 **Author's Note:**

 **Whew! What a chapter! Are you guys feeling anything yet? Horror? Sadness? Shock?**

Raph: Anger at the author?

Me: *blinks* What?

Raph: Well, you're the one who wrote this cliffhanger. I wouldn't be surprised if they were angry at you right now.

Me: ...oh, crud.

 **Please, don't come after me with pitchforks and katana and other deadly things like Mikey's garlic-clam-jellybean-and-sardine pizza. *shudders***

Mikey: Mmm...pizza...

 **...Anyway, I hope I'm still doing the turtles justice. But you'd better hold on, because this roller coaster ride ain't over yet. There are some things coming up that might get a little...interesting.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** _Don't own them._

 **Quick Note:** _I don't know how long I'm going to make this chapter...but it's mostly going to be centered around Leo and Sandra. And maybe Splinter. Just so you're prepared. ;)_

 **Chapter 8**

Sandra watches Leo, her expression sad. After Donnie and the others set the leader up on a cot next to her – with an IV drip in his arm to keep him hydrated, a heart monitor to let Donnie know if something goes wrong, and a blanket to make sure he doesn't get too cold – they leave the room. Even Donnie, though the genius protests. But Master Splinter orders his second-youngest son to get some proper rest.

And so the brunette is alone with her thoughts – and a silent, motionless Leonardo. "I'm so sorry, Leo," Sandra whispers, tears welling up in her blue eyes. "This is all my fault." The tears begin to flow freely as she runs a hand over Leo's forehead.

A jolt shoots through her and her eyes widen. Without warning, she's sucked into oblivion.

 **~TMNT~TMNT~TMNT~**

Sandra's eyes flutter open and she sits up, wincing at the throbbing in her skull. Only then does she realize that she's not in the lab anymore.

Looking around, she can see that she's in a room with Japanese accents. Lit candles glow on a small dresser, and Japanese paintings hang on the walls, giving the room a calming aura. In one corner of the bedroom sits a desk with a few books, while in the other stands a covered easel.

Ignoring the uneasy feeling in her stomach, she walks over to the stand, pulling back the cloth. The brunette stumbles back, one hand over her mouth and her eyes wide. Suddenly she knows whose room she's in.

As if on cue, the door opens and Leo steps into the bedroom. He sees Sandra and his face goes slack with shock. "What are you doing here?"

She fumbles for an answer. "W-What do you mean?"

"I mean, what are you doing here, in my mind?" The leader's tone is full of both suspicion and wonder. "You're not ninja, and you don't know how to meditate, so how did you get here?"

Sandra shakes her head. "I don't know," she replies, as honestly as she can. "I touched your forehead and-"

"Wait," Leo interrupts. "You woke up?"

She nods. "Whatever you did healed me. But when I woke up, you were passed out. You looked sick. Like _bad_ sick."

Leo's shoulders slump. "My chi...It's fading again. That explains why I can't get back into my body."

Sandra freezes. "Get back into your...but I thought that we were..."

"We're on the astral plain," the leader explains gently. "Actually, you're in my mind. In _my_ astral plain, technically."

The girl rubs her forehead. "I don't understand. What exactly is going on?"

As patiently as he can, Leo explains. "I used up most of my chi when I healed you. That means that my chi needs to recharge. But it's getting harder and harder to do that because of something that happened to me years ago."

"Master Splinter said that you can't wake up if your chi is too faded," Sandra murmurs. "How can you get more?"

"I don't know," Leo admits. "It's never been this bad before. I mean, sure, I almost died once when I healed Raph, but-"

"You what?"

"Long story. Anyway, before I can reenter my body – before the spirit part of me can – I have to replenish my chi. And I can't figure out how to do that."

Sandra grabs Leo's hand, surprised for two reasons. One, that she's showing him this emotion – which she really shouldn't be doing – and two, that her hand doesn't go right through his. He _is_ just spirit, after all.

"It'll be okay," she tells him softly. "I'll help."

"How?" Leo asks. "I mean, we don't necessarily know that you'll be able to get in here again, and even if you do, how will you help?"

"We'll figure it out," the brunette promises. "In the meantime-"

Sandra's sentence is cut off as she feels a _tug,_ like someone is pulling at her.

 _Sandra? Sandra, wake up._

 _Don, she's not breathing!_

Her eyes widen and she grips Leo's hand tighter. "I think I'm leaving."

The leader gives her a rueful smile. "Then would you give my family a message from me? Tell them that I'm here, and I'm coming back."

"Leo, what are you - Don't let go!"

Leo's eyes twinkle. "You said that it would be okay." He hesitates. "I trust you, Sandra. Do you trust me?"

Sandra blinks, shocked. "I...of course I do."

"Good." And before she can do anything, Leo lets go.

Suddenly, she's back in her own body, gasping for air. Her eyes are wide as the memory replays in her head.

 _'_ _Give my family a message for me.'_

"Sandra?" Donnie asks her, obviously concerned. "What happened? We came in here and you weren't breathing."

The brunette sits up slowly, painfully. "I need to talk to Master Splinter."

 **TMNT/TMNT/TMNT/TMNT**

Ten minutes later, Sandra is standing outside of Splinter's room, her palms sweaty. Donnie knocks on the door. "Sensei?"

 _"Come in."_

As soon as the pair enter the room, the aging rat stares at Sandra. His ears and nose twitch for a moment, and then his eyes widen.

"Kon'nichiwa, my daughter. It has been a long time since I felt-"

 _No!_ Sandra thinks desperately, aiming the word at the ninja master. Splinter pauses, then recovers. "An aura like yours," he finishes.

Mentally, Sandra breathes a sigh of relief. "Master Splinter, there's something I need to talk to you about."

The rat eyes her for a moment, then nods towards Donnie. "Donatello, you may wait for Miss Baughman outside the dojo. You are dismissed."

"Hai, Sensei," the genius replies, his expression puzzled. He bows to his teacher and leaves the room, his mind going a thousand miles a minute.

Splinter gets up and closes the door. When he turns around again, Sandra has tears streaming down her face. "My child, what is the matter?" he asks softly, crouching next to her.

She hesitates briefly, then throws her arms around him, burying her face in his chest. "I just...it's so good to see you, Sensei."

He's a little surprised to find that his own eyes are wet. "Likewise, my daughter." He helps her sit down at his table, then pours them both a steaming cup of herbal tea. "Now. I sense that there is something else you wish to talk to me about, other than our reunion," he states, taking a long drink.

The brunette nods, hesitating. "Sensei, I...I talked to Leo."

In retrospect, she probably shouldn't have just blurted it out like that. In shock, Master Splinter nearly drops his teacup. Oh-so-carefully, he sets down the cup with shaking fingers. "You...you talked to him?" he asks, his eyes wide.

Sandra stares at the steam rising from her own mug. "Hai, Sensei." Taking a deep breath, she explains what happened to her when she touched Leo's forehead, including the conversation that they had. "He said to tell you that he's coming back."

The aging rat blinks back tears, and his whiskers are trembling. "Thank you, daughter."

She bites her lip. "Sensei, is there any way that we can help Leo get his chi back?"

"I do not know. Excluding you, we are not strong enough to make that journey into Leonardo's mind."

"Leo said that he healed Raph a few years ago, and that it used up a lot of his chi. Do you think...does Raph still have it in his body?" the brunette asks, not daring to hope.

"It _is_ possible," Splinter muses, stroking his beard. "Chi is a gift that does not disappear once given. If Leonardo gave Raphael his chi, it is most likely that Raphael still has it within himself."

"And the only way to give chi is through the Healing Hands..." Sandra's mind is whirling. Her eyes widen as the solution appears before her. "I know how to get Leo back."

 **TMNT/TMNT/TMNT/TMNT**

Deep within the confines of his mind, Leo is meditating. It's one of the only ways he knows to pass the time. On the astral plain, there really isn't much to do but wait.

Two images appear before him. One is an image of Sandra, laughing with Mikey, but the other...he hasn't seen _that_ face in a very long time.

Leo frowns as the two visions start to merge, Sandra's and Alex's faces blurring together. And when the blue-clad turtle sees the completed picture, his eyes snap open, the full realization hitting him like a freight train.

 _Holy shell._

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hey, guys! Here's your update! I know, I know...it was a long time in coming, but I hope I made up for it.**

 **In the next chapter - which is going to be published soon -, Donnie figures something out that he really wishes he hadn't, Mikey stumbles onto an answer he's been looking for, and Leo confronts Sandra about a certain fact.**

 **So buckle up, readers, because it's gonna be one bumpy ride.**

 **Until next time, guys...COWABUNGA!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Quick Author's Note:** _I deleted the prologue...It was confusing the website, haha. So if you're wondering where it went, or why the chapters are suddenly numbered differently...that's why._

 _Also, Leo isn't actually really in this chapter. I was going to make it where he was, but I ended up combining two chapters again, and he wasn't in either of them. But he'll be in chapter 10, I promise._

 _So in chapter 9: Donnie figures something out that he really doesn't want to know, and Mikey stumbles on the answer he's been looking for._

 **Chapter 9**

"All right, Sandra. Easy, now. Just a few more steps."

"I-I can't," she gasps, a hand pressed to her side. Donnie suppresses a sigh as he picks her up and carries her to the couch. "Sorry," she apologizes, hating that she disappointed him again.

"It's all right," the genius replies, only half-convincingly. "You did take a bullet, after all."

"So I've heard," the brunette says wryly, closing her eyes and leaning back into the sofa.

Donnie is silent for a moment. "I knew it was going to take a while, but I'd hoped that you might be able to walk more by now. I mean, it's been almost two weeks."

 _That's right,_ Sandra thinks. Two weeks since she was shot, and they brought her back to the Lair. Two weeks since she almost died.

Two weeks since Leo went under.

A stab of guilt flashes through her, but she pushes it away. _I'm doing all I can to help him._ She had been talking often with Master Splinter, learning how to do the Healing Hands, trying to locate Leo's chi within herself.

They both speak at the same time. "Donnie-"

"Sandra, there's-"

She bites her lip, and he flushes. "Sorry," Donnie murmurs. "You first."

"No, you," Sandra insists gently.

The purple-clad turtle gestures to the seat next to her. "May I?" She shrugs, so he sits down. "Well, I was running a blood test to make sure that everything was doing well – except for your wound, of course. But when I was running the test, I noticed that it seemed a bit odd."

Her heart sinking, Sandra realizes what he had found. "Donnie...can we maybe go somewhere more private?"

Much to her surprise, he nods, carrying her back to the lab. She leans back onto the wall, her legs dangling over the side of her cot, and focuses on Leo – who still hasn't woken up. Donnie closes the lab door, then sits in his swivel chair and faces her.

"As I was saying," he continues. "I found something odd when I was running the test."

"In my blood?" Sandra asks, frowning, hoping she can distance him from the truth for as long as possible.

"Well, yes and no. There's nothing wrong with your blood, so far as health goes," Donnie clarifies. "But I realized that I had seen that sample before. So I checked the other blood samples that I had taken from my family and friends...and do you know what I found?"

For a moment, Sandra doesn't answer. Then her shoulders slump. She pulls her knees close to herself and wraps her arms around them, ignoring the twinge of pain in her stomach. "Of course I do," she replies quietly, her gaze downcast. Her southern drawl fades, turning into a sharp northern accent. "And you know that. You just want to ask for dramatic effect, and then you're going to tell me anyway."

Donnie sighs. "Why didn't you tell us, Alex?" There's a hint of something in his voice. Anger?

The brunette shakes her head. "I couldn't. I...I knew that you guys would be disappointed in me. And it was bad enough seeing how hurt Raph was..."

"Then why run away in the first place? How could you put us through that? How could you put _Raph_ through it?" Yep, that's _definitely_ anger.

"I could do it because that was the only option," she replies dully. "It was the only one I was willing to accept."

"What are you talking about? What options?"

Alex closes her eyes. "The options that the Foot Clan gave me."

The genius blinks, not quite believing his ears. Any trace of anger fades almost instantly. "What did you say?"

"That was the only option that I was willing to accept," Alex repeats, avoiding his gaze.

Donnie has a feeling he won't like the answer to his next question, but he asks anyway. "What was the alternative?"

She doesn't reply for a long while. When she speaks again, her voice is shaky, and barely more than a whisper. "They were going to kill the four of you."

Donnie inhales sharply. "Alex...they can't kill us. We're nearly invincible."

" _Together,_ yeah," Alex says, hating herself for what's coming next. "But they were going to separate you. Pick you off one at a time." She can't stop herself from talking now. Once he got her started, it was like water spilling from a dam. "They'd start with Splinter, to hit you all hard and distract you with anguish. Then would be Mikey...he's the weakest. They'd lure him off somewhere on a mission, and then get rid of him. You'd be next, so you couldn't figure out their plans and warn everyone ahead of time."

Alex is fully aware of the growing horror on Donnie's face, but she just starts talking faster, needing to get the words out, get this off of her chest. She's been carrying this burden for years, and it's begging to be released. "Next would be Raphael. He would be so caught up in his own sorrow and grief that he wouldn't see it coming until it was too late. And they'd kill Leo last, to make him suffer. Make him see how he failed as a leader...as a brother." Alex swallows thickly, trying to blink back the tears from her eyes. Her voice breaks. "They'd make me watch it all, Donnie...just because I didn't do what they said. And I-I couldn't...I couldn't let them do that."

The genius sits there, mouth agape, shocked into silence. Alex's face fills with resentment for a brief moment. "So don't judge me on my decision," she adds harshly, lower lip quivering. "You don't know what I...what I..."

And then she breaks down, her walls crumbling at last, her entire body shaking with sobs. "If you had heard what they made me listen to...what they showed me... _Kraang_ , Donnie...I can't get the images out of my head...I see them every night when I close my eyes. They won't go away."

Then Donnie does the last thing she ever expects. He hugs her. His strong, lean arms slide around her and pull her close to his plastron, keeping her locked in a tight embrace. "It'll be okay," he says gently, smoothing a hand down her back. "I promise, Alex. We're all okay." She only nods, burying her face in his shoulder.

And then a crash draws their attention. A wide-eyed Mikey stands in the entrance of the lab, the remains of a shattered water glass at his feet and the clear liquid pooling around him.

"Alex?" he whispers.

 **Author's Note:**

 **So how am I doing, guys? Is this story living up to your expectations, or am I letting you down?**

 **I know that I told you I was putting Leo in here, but he** ** _will_** **be in the next chapter.**

 **Please review!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

The brunette pales. "Mikey, how long were you standing there?"

He doesn't answer, instead throwing his arms around her in a bone-crushing hug. She barely has time to blink before the youngest turtle pulls away again, his expression hurt. "You left us," Mikey accuses.

"It wasn't my fault," Alex says wearily. She sags onto the cot again, closing her eyes. "I was going to tell you guys, but if I had, they would've-"

Donnie slips an arm around her, and she buries her face in his neck. "She really did it to protect us, Mike," the genius explains. "If it had been me in her place, well...I would've done the same thing."

Donnie doesn't miss the way that Alex stiffens beside him, and he certainly doesn't miss the feel of her tears on his shoulder. A muffled sob escapes her mouth.

Mikey's eyes widen, and he's at her side immediately. "Alex...I didn't mean to make you cry. I'm sorry, dudette."

Alex sniffles, and it's a moment before she looks up at the freckled turtle. Her face is tearstained, her nose red. "I'm sorry too," she whispers as Mikey pulls her into a hug.

"Just let it all out," he advises. "It'll make you feel better."

"I don't deserve this," she mumbles. "You guys should hate me right now. You have a right to."

"What?" Mikey asks, shocked. "We could _never_ hate you, Lexi! You're our friend. More importantly, you make us food."

A little huff of laughter is his reward for that. Alex gives him a watery smile. "Food is important," she agrees.

The orange-banded turtle nods, all seriousness. "And I think you owe us some right now."

Now she laughs outright. "Okay," she manages. "What do you want me to make?"

"Hmm." Mikey thinks for a minute, then his eyes light up. "How about some of your famous five-alarm chili?"

Before Alex can respond, footsteps pound on the floor outside the lab. Raph comes running in, his expression hopeful. "Don, I heard her! I heard Alex! I-"

The hothead's excitement fades as he takes in the scene before him. There's not the blonde-haired, green eyed girl he's looking for, but the blue-eyed brunette from Tennessee.

Raph's face falls. "Oh," he says dully. "I'm...sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt." Without another word, he turns and leaves the lab. The slam of his bedroom door echoes through the Lair.

Mikey winces. Donnie touches Alex's arm. "He needs to know," the genius tells her quietly. "He's hurting, Alex. He's hurting badly."

She shakes her head. "I can't tell him yet, Don...I-I need to wait until we get Leo back."

"Why?" Donnie asks. A touch of anger flares up in his eyes again. "What's so important that you have to wait that long? You want to hurt him more?"

The brunette's lower lip quivers slightly. "No...I need his help, and I can't guarantee that he'll help me if he knows who I really am."

"You need his help?" Mikey echoes. "For what?"

Alex takes a deep breath, deciding to make the leap of faith. "I need his help to bring Leo back." As quickly as she can, she explains the plan she's been formulating with Master Splinter.

Donnie and Mikey, to their credit, aren't as shocked as Splinter was. In fact, it's almost as if traveling into other peoples' minds on a regular basis is an everyday occurrence for them. Donnie is nodding thoughtfully and taking notes on his T-Phone, and Mikey is listening without interrupting, his fingers tapping out a beat on the edge of the cot.

When Alex concludes her story, both brothers are silent. Donnie is the first to speak. "So you think that the way to get Leo to wake up is to return his chi to him?"

"It makes sense," she replies. "I mean, he got sick because he gave it away, right? Sensei said that the chi would still be in our bodies, and if we can give it back..."

Mikey's baby-blue eyes are shining. "He'll wake up!" he finishes. "Lexi, you're a genius!"

"I know," the brunette says, grinning.

"Does Leo know that you've figured it out?" Donnie asks.

Alex bites her lip. "I haven't visited recently," she admits. "With learning the Healing Hands and trying to figure out the rest of the preparations, it's been a little busy for me."

"The next thing you need to do, then, is tell him everything," the genius recommends, sitting down at his desk.

"Everything?" she repeats, her blood freezing in her veins.

Donnie nods, his expression becoming solemn. "He has a right to know, especially if you're going to be in his head."

The teen's eyes close, fear spreading over her like a tidal wave. Actually, telling the leader is the last thing that she wants to do. She knows that Leo is level headed, but how far is it until his breaking point?

And she might be a little scared. She got lucky with the way that Mikey reacted. But based on Donnie's reaction to her secret, how will Leo feel? His top priority is making sure that his brothers and father are safe and happy. When he finds out that she's the one who broke Raph's heart, what will he do?

Mikey's gentle touch on the brunette's shoulder jerks her out of her thoughts. "It'll be okay," he murmurs, holding her close. "No matter what happens with Leo, I'm here for you."

In that moment, Alex has never been more grateful. She smiles fully at the youngest turtle, laying her head on his shoulder. "Thanks, Mikester," she whispers. And maybe, just maybe, the fear shrinks a little at his affection.

 **TMNT/TMNT/TMNT/TMNT**

Taking a deep breath, she opens her eyes, her weariness already fading as the soothing aura in Leo's mind washes over her. Warmth settles onto her mind like a blanket.

"You haven't visited in a while."

The accusatory tone in the leader's voice makes Alex flinch. "Sorry about that," she replies quietly, affecting her drawl again. "I've been working on a plan with Master Splinter. We're almost ready to get you out of here."

Leo's face splits in a smile and he uncrosses his arms. "That's great!" he exclaims. "Thanks, Alex!"

"No prob-" The brunette's reply is cut short as she realizes what he just said – and what she just did. The blood drains from her face.

"I _knew_ it." His eyes harden, the scowl returning. "How long did you think you could keep up that charade?"

Alex bites her lip, desperately trying to think of a way to do some damage control. "Leo, I can-"

"Explain?" he finishes. "Yes, please do. Explain why you thought it was a good idea to just run from your problems. Explain why you hurt Raph like you did. Explain why I should still trust you with my family's lives."

This is exactly what she was afraid of. There's pain in her head now, increasing as Leo's anger grows. "L-Leo, please..." But he doesn't calm down. She's being torn apart from the inside. For the first time, Alex sees the anger – the raw power - that he hides deep within himself. And she's terrified.

With all the force of a hurricane, Leo forces her from his mind. The last thing she sees is the rage in his eyes.

And then blackness consumes her.

 **Author's Note:**

 **Aw, shell! That did** ** _not_** **go how she wanted it to.**

 **I wanted to kind of deepen Leo's character a little. And it's not out of the realm of possibility that he has anger as bad as Raph does. He just keeps it buried where his family won't find out about it.**

 **How am I doing? Good? Bad?**

 **Please review.**


	11. Chapter 11

**BLANKET DISCLAIMER:** _This is a blanket disclaimer for the rest of the story. I don't want to type out a disclaimer anymore, haha. Anyway, I don't own the turtles, Splinter, etc. All credit goes to Viacom and Nickelodeon. _

**Chapter 11**

Pain. That's all Alex can feel. Sharp, cutting, blazing through her and tearing her apart. Then, suddenly, inexplicably, she's being bathed in light and warmth. A peaceful feeling fills her, and she starts to sink towards the brightness below.

 _ **No.**_

The brunette stops, confusion written across her face.

 ** _Don't go that way. You need to go back._**

 _But it hurts,_ she thinks. _I just want to let go...I don't want to fight anymore._

 ** _Your friends need you. Leo needs you._**

 _"Alex...please come back. Don't leave us..."_ Mikey.

That seals the deal. Alex glances longingly at the warm, buttery light. Then she turns away, clawing her way up out of the darkness. Voices start screaming at her, bolts of pain through her mind.

 _"-she's not waking up-"_

 _"-ly shell. Mikey, get Master Splinter!"_

 _"Lexi, hang on-"_

 _"Give me some space!"_

A small moan, barely louder than a whisper, is all it takes to get Mikey's attention. The youngest turtle is at Alex's side in an instant, his hand gripping hers as if he's trying to wake her up by willpower alone.

"Alex?" he asks hopefully. But moments pass with no response from the brunette. Mikey's shoulders sag and his lower lip quivers. Then, just as he starts to pull his hand away, Alex's fingers tighten around his own.

Slowly, so slowly, gentle blue eyes flutter open. "M-Mikey?" she murmurs.

He inhales sharply, his mouth already turning up in a grin. "Donnie!" the freckled ninja cries. "Donnie!"

The turtle in question appears at the lab door with a half-full cup of coffee in his hand, looking exhausted and very, very annoyed. " _What_ , M-" When Donnie sees that Alex is awake, the mug slips from his fingers, glass and hot liquid going everywhere. But he doesn't care about that. His focus is solely on the girl in front of him.

Donnie rushes over, immediately checking the brunette's vitals. "Alex...holy shell, we thought..."

"What happened, dudette?" Mikey asks curiously.

Alex's head is aching as she tries to remember. Her gaze lands on the still form not twenty feet away, and it all comes rushing back. She swallows, blinking away tears. "I don't want to talk about it."

Something in her expression must give it away, because they don't press her any further. Donnie gestures at Mikey. "Go get some water for her," he orders. "And tell Sensei that she's up."

The youngest terrapin nods, looking unsure, but he disappears from the room anyway. As soon as he's gone, Donnie touches Alex's arm.

"If you need anything-"

"I'll let you know," she finishes, giving him a small smile. Mikey comes back with the water and presses it to her lips – a mercy, since her own hands are too shaky to hold the glass. Alex takes a few sips of the cool liquid, letting it soothe her dry throat. Then she pulls away, her eyes flashing with guilt as she sees Leo again.

Without another word, the brunette turns over and faces the wall, trying to push the memory of her failed attempt from her thoughts - not an easy task when the image of an enraged Leo keeps playing through her mind in an endless loop.

Several hours later, all is quiet in the Lair. Master Splinter is in his room meditating, and the others are out on a sewer run.

At this point, Alex has given up hope of forgetting her unsuccessful mission. She stares at the comatose leader across from her, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I'm sorry, Leo. I'm so sorry." His voice flashes through her head, accusing her.

 _Explain why I should still trust you with my family's lives._

"You shouldn't," she whispers. "You shouldn't...I don't deserve that trust."

The brunette reaches out towards him again. But just before her fingers make contact with his skin, she hesitates and pulls her hand back. Sorrow shoots through her veins, coupling with the bitter regret of her failure.

"Alex?"

The voice jolts her from her thoughts, and she looks up, startled. A moment too late, she realizes how she must look. Mikey is silent as he takes in her appearance. He sees her red-rimmed, bloodshot eyes; the paleness of her face; her quivering lower lip.

His response to this is not at all what Alex is expecting. Instead of a frown, she receives a sad smile. Not a lecture, but a warm embrace. No harsh judgment, but murmured words of comfort.

Sitting there on the cot with the orange-clad turtle's arms around her, Alex finally gives in. She lets the tears flow freely in front of him; she shows him her weakness, the pain that she hides.

And Mikey accepts it. He takes the sting out of her despair, dulls the anguish in her heart. "It'll be okay," he tells her quietly. "Did you...do you want to talk about it? I mean, I know that earlier you said-"

"No," Alex interrupts. Her voice is watery but growing stronger. "I need to tell someone what happened." She reveals every part of her journey, leaving nothing out. While Mikey remains silent throughout the narrative, emotions openly play across his face: disbelief, sympathy, confusion.

He shakes his head when Alex is done. "That's not like Leo at all," the youngest turtle murmurs. "I don't understand...he's not usually mean like that."

Alex draws her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. "You should've seen his rage, Mikey...there was so much of it. I never knew that he could be so...so _angry_."

"There's something going on," Mikey decides, standing. "I need to talk to Donnie."

"Do you think he'll be mad at me?"

The orange-banded ninja stops in his tracks, staring at her. "Why would D be mad at you?"

"Because...I failed," she whispers, tears welling up again. As soon as the first one falls, Mikey wipes it away.

"Lexi, listen to me. You did the best you could, and that's all that anyone can ask for. Okay?" Alex nods, avoiding his eyes. "C'mon, Alex... Give me a smile. Please? For old times' sake."

Despite herself, the brunette feels the corners of her mouth twitch upwards. It's hardly a smile, but Mikey beams.

"There. Don't you feel better?" He doesn't wait for a reply, but makes her lay down again – this time facing _away_ from Leo – and pulls the covers up to her chin. "Snug as a Kraang worm in a rug," Mikey says playfully. "Get some rest. I'll go see what D thinks about everything."

His expression turns gentle for a moment and he presses a quick kiss to her temple. "Don't worry, Lexi. It'll be okay."

As he disappears into the main room, Alex closes her eyes. And for the first time in a long time, she lets herself believe that.

 **TMNT/TMNT/TMNT/TMNT**

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hey, guys! I know that this update was a long time in coming. The good news is, I'm already working on chapter 12! Yay!**

 **I know that there are some people who are going to be thinking that I'm pairing Alex and Mikey. Well,** **I'm not. Their relationship is purely a sibling one - the kiss was a brotherly kiss. I have plans for Alex that don't necessarily involve Mikey. Not like that, anyway.**

 **So like I said, the next chapter should be posted soon - within the next week, I'm hoping.**

 **COMING UP NEXT:** _Mikey talks to Donnie and Master Splinter about what's happening with Leo; our favorite freckle-faced turtle gets a dangerous idea in his mind; and Raph might just have an inkling about the events occurring within the Lair._

 **Please review.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

"I don't believe it." Donnie crosses his arms in a very Raph-like way.

Mikey nods emphatically. "I didn't either, dude. But I trust Alex. There's no way she was lying."

"I cannot think this of Leonardo," Master Splinter says. His expression is pained, his shoulders drooping. In this moment, he looks every bit the old man that he is. "It is very much unlike him."

"That's what I said!" the youngest turtle agrees.

"Something must be wrong," Donnie muses. "There's no other reasonable explanation."

"Alex said that Leo has a lot of rage stored up within him," Mikey tells them, serious for once. "If he's been bottling it all up for who knows how long..."

"He never has been one to share," the resident genius replies dryly.

" _That_ is an understatement, bro."

"Either way, it can't be good for him. We all have outlets for our anger – Raph especially. But I don't think that Leo's ever said anything about his."

Splinter strokes his beard. "You say that Leonardo has figured out who Alex truly is?" Mikey nods again, and the aging rat sighs. "We must proceed with caution, then. It is best if no one undertakes any unguided journeys into the astral plain for the time being."

"But how will we help Leo then?" Mikey protests stubbornly. "If Alex can't get into the astral plain, then how will she give him his chi back?"

"A solution will arise in time," the ninja master says, standing up. "I must meditate on this." Without another word, Splinter vanishes into his room. The paper door slides shut.

Donnie stands as well. "So that's it, then," he murmurs.

"You're giving up?" the orange-banded turtle asks incredulously.

"There's nothing else we can do right now, Mike. Until Sensei lets us go on astral trips, then we're done." But despite the convincing tone of his statements, Donnie's shoulders are slumped as he walks back to his lab.

Mikey watches his immediate older brother go, his eyes narrowed. "I'm not giving up on you yet, Leo," he promises. "No matter what everyone else does, I'm not gonna give up on you."

A plan appears in his mind, so crazy – and risky – that it seems impossible. But then, Mikey has done a lot of impossible things over the years. Shell, _he's_ supposed to be impossible. Yet here he is.

 ** _That's_** _what brothers are for._

The years-old echo of Leo's statement in the youngest turtle's mind settles it. With a determined look in his eyes, Mikey heads off to his bedroom to get ready.

 **TMNT/TMNT/TMNT/TMNT**

Her eyes dart around the Lair, making sure that no one is watching as she enters the dojo. Moonlight streams in from the grate in the ceiling, giving the whole room an otherworldly feel. The training room is long-since empty, everyone else asleep. The only person who would be in the dojo at this hour is...

Alex shoves that thought down deep inside herself and locks it away. _Not gonna think about it._

The brunette inhales, closing her eyes. The scents of leather, choji oil, and jasmine fill her nose, blending in a heady scent – one that she greatly missed. A smile grows on her face and she sits on the floor, assuming the lotus position. She can hear Master Splinter's old teachings in her head.

 _Relax. Become at peace with yourself._

Alex breathes out, trying to let go of everything; her fears, her sorrow, her pain. With each passing moment, she feels lighter. After fifteen minutes of meditation, she stands up again, moving into practice of kata.

At first, her muscles protest at this – not entirely unexpected, though she had been practicing on her own while she was gone. But soon Alex slips into a rhythm, her movements becoming graceful and swift. While performing one of the harder kata, her blue eyes open, her gaze landing on something on the wall.

The tears rushing to her eyes make it hard to see, but Alex's feet know the route well enough that she doesn't have to. She takes the battle-worn kama down, her hands fitting around the grips perfectly.

Alex takes an experimental swing with the kama, and the blades sing through the air. Her smile grows wider and she moves through her old training stances, her weapons gleaming in the moonlight. Exhilaration pounds through her veins.

It feels like coming home.

"The shell do you think you're doing?"

She yelps and falls, her concentration broken. "Oh...h-hey, Raphael. I thought you were asleep?"

"Haven't slept well in a long time. Why should tonight be any different?" A fine flush settles onto Alex's face. Then Raph notices what she's holding.

Raph's green eyes are burning with anger. "Where did you get those?" he asks harshly, gesturing to the kama.

Alex flounders for a moment, remembering that the hotheaded turtle doesn't know who she really is. "I-I found them on the wall, and I just wanted to try them out."

Raph's hands clench into fists at his sides. "You just took them down?" He takes her silence as an answer. "You had _no right!_ How _dare_ you touch them?!"

Alex is scrambling backwards, trying desperately to get away from him. "I'm sorry! I just wanted-"

"I don't care what you want!" he snaps. He steps towards her, and she backs up until she hits the wall. "Everything has been about what you wanted, ever since you got here! Well let me tell you this, Sandra Baughman." Raph is in her face now, his voice dangerously low. "You may have replaced her in _their_ hearts, but not in mine, do you hear me? Never in mine! I hate you. I _hate_ you!"

Raph jerks the kama from her hands. One of the blades catches her right palm and slices into it, making Alex cry out in pain. Hot blood wells from the wound immediately, flowing down her forearm.

"Get out," Raph growls.

Alex turns away before he can see the tears streaming down her face. She manages to make it into the lab before her legs give out. The brunette collapses inside the doorway, crying, blood from her hand staining the cement floor red.

And in the dojo, Raph falls to his knees and weeps.

 **TMNT/TMNT/TMNT**

 **Coming soon...**

 _Donnie and Alex have a little talk about what happened; one of Alex's memories is revealed; and Mikey puts his plan into action. Raph, meanwhile, goes to Donnie for advice on how to handle Sandra as their 'guest.'_

 **Please review.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Quick Note:** _My apologies for taking so long, guys. I couldn't think of a way to do this chapter._

 **Chapter 13**

Donnie finds Alex curled up in the doorway around five in the morning. Blood has soaked into her clothes and hair, and there are dried tear tracks on her face. The cut on her hand is crusted over with dried blood.

It takes Donnie a full minute to register the scene in front of him. When he does, horror floods his expression and he starts shaking her. "Alex, wake up." The sight of her blue eyes opening makes him sag with relief. "What happened?" he asks, helping her sit up.

Alex pauses, and the full weight of her confrontation with Raph settles onto her shoulders. Her eyes fill with tears again. "Raph..."

Twenty minutes, a cup of coffee, and a box of tissues later, Alex has told Donnie enough that he can piece together the story. And it shocks him to his core. The fact that Raph turned hostile that quickly is especially distressing.

 _He has to know the truth,_ the genius vows silently.

"Are you okay?" he presses.

The brunette takes a deep breath and stares at her injured hand, which Donnie had stitched and bandaged. "I...I don't know, Donnie. I just don't know anymore. I thought that I was doing the right thing when I left, but it just tore everything apart. Leo won't talk to me or let me in. I hurt Raph so badly that I don't know if he'll ever forgive me. And I seriously doubt that he'd work with me now because of what happened." She falls silent for a moment, and when she looks up again, her gaze is tortured. "I screwed everything up."

"It's not-"

Alex cuts Donnie off. "Don't say it's not my fault! Everyone keeps telling me that, but I know it's not true." For once, Donnie is utterly speechless, either unable or unwilling to respond. She takes his silence as an answer in itself, and her shoulders sag. "I'm going to go shower. I smell like Mikey after steak night."

Donnie lets her leave, watching her through concerned eyes. His mind is reeling with the things she told him.

 _I need to talk to Sensei._

 **TMNT/TMNT/TMNT/TMNT**

Standing in front of the condensation-clouded mirror, Alex runs a brush through her tangled brown hair. Frustration builds within her as the brush catches yet again in a knot that refuses to come out. She growls, trying to untangle it with little success. The knot isn't coming out anytime soon.

Frustrated, the brunette rummages through the bathroom cabinet. _I know that they're in here somewhere..._ Finally, she locates what she's looking for. She pulls out the scissors and sets them on the counter, deciding to give pulling on the brush more attempt – with the same result as before.

Alex gazes at the shears, still reluctant to use them, even as a last resort. A memory surfaces in her mind, one from her junior year of high school.

 _The girl entered the Lair as quietly as possible, unwilling to draw attention to herself. But it didn't matter._

 _"Lexi's home!" Mikey cried gleefully, scooping her up into a hug. "Hey, nice hat!" Alex stiffened at the comment on her knit cap, pulling away from the hug and heading for her room without so much as a smile._

 _The youngest turtle looked hurt. "Alex?"_

 _"Forget it, Mike," she said sharply, slamming the door behind her._

 _"What happened?" Leo asked, entering the main room with the others right behind him._

 _"Alex is upset," Mikey answered, still staring at her door._

 _"Something must've happened at school," Donnie observed thoughtfully._

 _Raph frowned, uncrossing his arms. "I'll go check on her." When he knocked on her door, he got no answer. His keen ears picked up on muffled sniffling from inside the room, and his concern level tripled._

 _The hothead opened the door to find Alex huddled on her bed, her face buried in her knees, sobbing._

 _"Alex? You alright? What happened? Were you hurt? Do I have to go and beat up some punk now? Because I will, and it won't be-"_

 _"Raph, stop."_

 _It wasn't her command that made him shut up, though. It was the level of pain in those two words._

 _"What happened?" he repeated, more gently this time._

 _Alex raised her head and he could see the tear tracks on her face. "Nothing," she replied dully._

 _Looking at her closely, Raph couldn't see anything inherently wrong, yet his senses were telling him that something was off. She didn't seem to be in physical pain. There were no rips in her clothing, no bruises on her arms, and no marks on her face. Her hair was tucked up into the cap – wait._

 _"Where the shell did you get that hat?"_

 _The girl's gaze sank to the floor. "I picked it up on the way home. It's my favorite color."_

 _Lie. In fact, her favorite color was red, not grey. That in itself was enough to put Raph onto the right track. "Take it off."_

 _Alex swallowed, still avoiding his gaze. "No. I-I'd rather keep it on."_

 _So he was right. The only thing he needed to know was how much damage had been done. "Alex, take off the freakin' hat before I rip it off myself."_

 _Her lower lip quivered and she reached up, slowly pulling off the knit cap. Golden locks tumbled down, ending in a haphazardly-cut line right below her shoulder blades._

 _Raph inhaled sharply as he stared at the remains of the formerly waist-length ponytail. "Who did this to you? I swear, I'm gonna rip their heads off their bodies and shove them down their-"_

 _A warm hand on his wrist brought him back from the brink of anger. "I'll tell you," Alex replied, almost inaudibly. "Just...don't go and avenge me, okay? I don't...I don't want to make it worse."_

 _Burying his anger for now, Raph settled down on the bed to hear her story._

 _"A few weeks ago, I stood up to a group of cheerleaders because they were picking on a new kid," she began. "Well, today, we had a substitute teacher in fourth period – and it just happened to be one class that I share with the cheerleaders."_

 _"Lemme guess," Raph said. "They decided to teach you a lesson for makin' them look bad?"_

 _Alex nodded, wrapping her arms around herself. "I sat down in class in my usual chair, right in front of Cassidy – she's the cheer captain. Before the sub got there, she tied my ponytail to the seat so tightly that I wouldn't be able to get it undone. And then Cass dumped bottle of superglue onto the knot and halfway up my ponytail. I didn't realize it until class was over, and by then the glue had dried." The blonde fingered the choppy ends of her hair. "This was...this was as much as I could save."_

 _The red-clad turtle shook his head. "Oh, Lex...I'm so sorry."_

 _"Well, at least I won't be as hot during the summer, right?" Alex replied in a fake-bright tone. Her lower lip trembled._

 _Internally, Raph's instincts were fighting themselves. He wanted to go and rip Cassidy's face off, but at the same time, Alex had asked him not to, and she needed him to be there for her. An idea popped into his mind and he stood up, grabbing Alex's hand and dragging her with him._

 _"Raph!" she cried, stunned. "What the shell? Where are we going?"_

 _Without answering, the hotheaded turtle steered her into the bathroom and plopped her down in front of the mirror, shutting and locking the door behind them. He rifled through the cabinets, muttering to himself._

 _Alex watched him, half-curious and half-uneasy. Eventually, Raph found what he was looking for, and he pulled a gleaming set of scissors out, setting them on the counter._

 _The blonde let out a little 'eep' and started to back up. "R-Raph, what is going through your head right now?"_

 _He turned to look at her, a cunning smirk on his face. It was the same smirk that she'd fallen in love with, and it made her want to melt right then. "A way to get back at that little backstabber without my having to beat her to a pulp." Raph grew serious for a moment, his eyes suddenly intense. "But only if you want to. It's completely up to you."_

 _Alex bit her lip. He was actually giving her the choice – and not many people had let her choose anything before. That meant more to her than anything ever had. "Okay," she replied._

 _Raph blinked. "Really? But you promised your mom that you wouldn't-"_

 _"Cut my hair, I know." She laughed quietly, albeit slightly bitterly. "I think that it's a little late for that, don't you? Besides, this will be a good way to shove Cassidy's nose in it."_

 _"That's my girl." Raph gave her a proud grin, kissing her quickly on the cheek. "Now, close your eyes."_

 _"What? Why?"_

 _"I want it to be a surprise," he explained._

 _That made Alex think twice about what she'd agreed to, but then she felt the scissors cut through a large chunk of hair. Too late now..._

 _Ten minutes later, Raph told her to look in the mirror. Green eyes widened. Instead of the messily-chopped tresses that she'd last seen, Alex saw that Raph had taken away most of the length, cutting her hair into a bold pixie style. Her bangs laid low across her left eye, and the hair on the back of her neck had been clipped close._

 _"Raph, it's..." Spunky. Brazen. And guaranteed to shame Cassidy. "Amazing," she finished quietly, running her fingers through her cropped locks. "Thank you."_

 _The red-masked turtle smiled. "You're welcome," he replied, his voice growing husky as he kissed her._

Alex's heart squeezes painfully, her eyes opening. Her gaze lands once again on the scissors and she slips them back into the cabinet, then grabs her brush and heads to the lab to ask for Donnie's help.

On the way, she bumps into Mikey, who jumps. "Whoa! You scared me, dudette."

"Sorry," Alex replies automatically. "I was just going to see if Donnie could give me some help."

Mikey shakes his head. "He's kind of busy right now."

The brunette blinks. "Oh. What's he working on?"

"I made him go get some sleep," the youngest turtle admits. "He was totally drained."

"He actually listened to you?" Alex has never heard of Donnie giving up his lab willingly. The only time he left it was if he was on patrol – or if Leo and Master Splinter made him.

Mikey gives her a sheepish grin. "I might have accidentally hit him in the head with my chucks..."

Alex stares at him for a minute. Then she cracks up, laughing so hard that tears gather in her eyes. "Only you, Mikey," she gasps, trying to catch her breath.

The turtle's grin widens. "What about me?"

"You're incredible," the teen admits, smiling a little.

The praise makes Mikey flush. "No more than you, Lexi. Now, give me that brush. I'll help you out." With a deftness that his huge fingers belie, Mikey untangles the shining brown strands. Soon enough, the brush is running smoothly through Alex's hair. But Mikey tells her to stay seated, and his hands start flying over her head and shoulders.

When he's done, he hands her a mirror. Alex gapes at her reflection. An intricately woven braid wraps around her head and cascades down her back. She looks up at Mikey. "How in the world...?"

"I'm an artist, brah!" he replies.

"You're freaking awesome," Alex amends, giving him a hug. He beams, returning the gesture. As she waves and disappears into the dojo to talk to Master Splinter, Mikey heads towards the lab.

His mind is whirling with the idea he cooked up, and it takes all his control not to run over to the lab doors. That kind of movement would almost certainly give him away to his family, and then his plans would fall through.

The youngest turtle manages to make it into the lab and shut the door without being noticed. His heart pounding, he walks over to his unconscious oldest brother. Mikey sits down on the chair next to the medical bed and stares at Leo for a minute. His baby-blue eyes grow hot and a lump appears in his throat, but he swallows it down. _Not now. You can cry later when he's awake._

Before he can change his mind, Mikey centers himself, then reaches out and touches Leo's forehead. Instantly, the orange-banded turtle is pulled into the darkness.

 **TMNT/TMNT/TMNT/TMNT**

 **Coming Up Next:**

 _Mikey and Leo have a conversation that Leo really wishes they hadn't; Alex talks to Master Splinter about telling Raph the truth; Our hotheaded turtle finds himself in quite a predicament; and hilarity ensues as Donnie realizes what Mikey did to him._

 **Once again guys, I'm really sorry that this took so long. The next chapter should be up a bit sooner, I hope. Until then, COWABUNGA!**

 **Please review.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Quick Note:** _So things are going to heat up faster than I originally planned...hold on to your rice hats._

 **Chapter 14**

"Ugh...dude...I think I lost my stomach somewhere back there..."

"Mikey?"

Baby-blue eyes flash open, and all thoughts of a missing stomach vanish. Mikey sits up as that voice – that deep voice that he missed so much – echoes in his ears. Sure enough, Leo stands not two feet away, his face a mask of concern. "Leo!" the freckled terrapin cries, throwing his arms around his brother. Tears roll down his cheeks. "I missed you so much!"

The leader pulls Mikey closer, resting his head on Mikey's. "I missed you too, little brother. But...how did you get here?"

"I meditated first," Mikey replies, wiping his face.

Leo knows that this isn't the full answer. Out of the four turtles, Mikey has one of the strongest spirits that he knows – stronger even than Master Splinter or himself. The blue-clad turtle lets the matter drop, deciding to figure it out later.

"I have a feeling that you didn't come here just to see me," the blue-banded ninja says.

Mikey hesitates. "There's something that we need to talk about, bro. It's about Alex."

At the mention of her name, anger surges through the leader, echoing in his mind like a thousand thunderclaps. Mikey winces, gripping his own head, and Leo clamps down on the feelings, sealing them away. "There is nothing to say about Alex." His voice comes out sharper than he means it to, but the leader feels betrayed.

The orange-clad turtle puts a hand on Leo's shoulder. "She didn't mean to hurt you," he says quietly. Once again, Leo wonders at his youngest brother's sensitivity to spiritual feelings, but doesn't comment.

"Then why? Why run? Why hurt us?"

Mikey's eyes narrow and he studies Leo for a minute. Then his eyes widen. "Dude...you liked her, didn't you?" The leader's silence is answer enough. _"That's_ why you're so upset. You liked her as Sandra, and now that you know she's really Alex, you think she'll be Raph's again. Don't you?"

A muscle twitches in Leo's jaw. "No!" Seeing Mikey's disbelief, the leader flushes. "I mean...maybe. Okay, fine. Yes, I did like her. And... And I still do. But there's no point in my telling anyone because as soon as Raph learns who she is, they'll be together again." Leo looks down at his hands, sadness and self-loathing overwhelming him. "I'm never going to be good enough for her. And I'm never going to even _begin_ to compare to Raph."

For once in his life, Mikey finds that he is completely and utterly speechless. His heart goes out to his eldest brother, and he wishes that he could think of some way to help Leo. "Well," he says slowly. "Raph might be too angry at her to want to hook up again."

"So I'm just going to be the second-best choice because her first choice isn't available? No thanks."

"Look. You like Alex, and Alex likes Raph. But when Raph finds out that she lied to him, he probably won't like her anymore. You should give it a try."

"But what if she laughs at me?" Leo whispers. "What if she rejects me? It could ruin everything."

"I've never known you to be afraid of a few _what-if's,_ bro." Mikey puts a hand on Leo's shoulder, willing strength into his older brother. "Take the chance. Trust in yourself. Give yourself more credit. You're a good guy. And yeah, you may not be exactly like Raph, but that's a good thing. If you were exactly the same as him, you wouldn't be Leo the Fearless Leader; you'd be Leo the Bloated Buffalo."

Despite himself, Leo chuckles. "Thanks, Mike," he says finally.

"Don't mention it, bro. Now, let's focus on getting you back home. Deal?"

"Deal."

Mikey gives his eldest brother one more hug. "I have to go tell the others. I'll see you soon though. In the real world."

"I love you, Ototo."

"I love you too, Ani," the youngest says, closing his eyes.

When Mikey opens them again, he's back in the lab, sitting next to the comatose leader. A grin appears on his face, and he makes a beeline for the dojo.

"Alex! Alex!" he cries, forgetting to use her fake name.

In the training room, Alex and Splinter turn and stare at him. Alex's blue eyes are wide. "What's wrong?" she asks uneasily.

"I talked to him! I talked to Leo!"

"You did _what?"_ his father thunders.

Completely ignoring Splinter for the first time in his life, Mikey keeps his focus on Alex. "It's okay," he tells her quietly. "It's all okay."

The scared expression on her face melts into disbelief and then tentative elation. The brunette throws her arms around his neck. "Thank you," she whispers, hugging him fiercely.

Mikey feels something wet hit his skin, so he wraps his arms tight around her, holding her closer. "Everything is gonna be fine now," he promises.

"MICHELANGELO!"

The enraged shout comes from the mouth of a very disgruntled-looking Donatello. The genius stalks into the room, getting very close to his brother.

Perhaps _too_ close, Mikey thinks, letting go of Alex. "Heh... H-Hey, Don. Have a nice nap?"

"Grr... C'mere, you little-"

"Aaah! Aah, aah, _AAH!_ Alex, help me!"

Laughter bubbles up out of Alex's mouth as she watches Donnie chase Mikey around the dojo. For one moment, her life is perfect.

Of course, in this world, there's no such thing as perfection.

For in the doorway, fiery green eyes snap with barely controlled rage. "Tell me I didn't hear what I think I just heard."

 **Author's Note:**

 **I know, I know. Short chapter. I'm sorry, but I felt like that was the best way to end it because I have some awesomely evil plans coming up - and I wanted to do that in the next update (which will be coming very soon!).**

 **Hang on to your rice hats, guys, 'cuz this crazy ride ain't over yet. We've got a few more chapters to go.**

Please review.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

The blood drains from Alex's face as Raph enters the dojo, arms crossed. "Tell me that you didn't just call her Alex," the hothead says to Mikey, his voice threateningly low.

The silence that follows is answer enough.

"All this time," Raph hisses, rounding on the brunette. "All this time, you lied to me. You lied to _them._ " His keen eyes catch Donnie's flinch, and he turns to find his sibling staring at the floor. "Wait a minute. You knew, didn't you? You _all_ knew? How long?"

Donnie swallows, still avoiding Raph's gaze. "Since Leo healed her," he admits.

"And you," the red-banded turtle continues, pointing at Mikey. "How long since you found out?"

"Just the other day..."

"But _nobody_ told me. I bet even Fearless knows somehow, doesn't he?" Again, Raph's question is met with silence, and he snorts. "Gee, that makes me feel like a real part of the family. I can't believe you guys would keep this from me, from your own _brother!"_

"We weren't going to," the brunette says. "I was trying to figure out how to tell you."

"Yeah, right," he retorts harshly, crossing his arms. "Because it would be so hard to do. _Oh, by the way, I'm really your old girlfriend. I know I ran off and broke your heart but I'm back now, and you don't need an explanation. Everything can just go back to how it was before._ "

Alex blinks, her lip beginning to tremble. "But I-I left a note. It should've explained-"

"I never got a note."

"I put it on your dresser with your sai where you could find it. I wanted you to know, Raph. You have to believe-"

"No!" Raph cuts her off. "I don't. And I don't want to hear another word out of your lying, two-timing mouth. Not one single word."

"But what about Leo?" she asks, her expression full of anguish.

"You can save him yourself," the red-clad turtle says coldly. "I don't care if he is my brother. I'm not gonna help your two-faced carcass."

The words are like a slap to Alex's face, and her eyes well up with tears as he storms from the room. Without warning, her knees give out and she sinks to the floor.

Donnie slips his arms around her. "It'll be okay," he murmurs.

She shakes her head, pulling back enough that he can see the despair in her face. "No, Don," she whispers brokenly. "It will never be okay again."

 **TMNT/TMNT/TMNT**

Mikey's heart pounds as he digs through the stack of papers on his floor - all of which he had 'borrowed' from Raph's room at one time or another. You never know when it can be used as evidence against an older sibling.

"Come on, come on. It's gotta be in here."

The youngest turtle had gaped in surprise when Alex said something about a note. Mikey remembers that sheet of paper as clear as day. He had 'borrowed' it when Sensei sent him to get the weapons that needed to be cleaned. He never read it, but the image of the note is still crisp in his mind.

 _There!_ At the very bottom of the stack sits a slightly yellowed sheet of paper, folded in half. Mikey grabs it and opens it up just enough to read the signature. His suspicions confirmed, the orange-banded turtle runs for Raph's bedroom with the note in hand.

 **TMNT/TMNT/TMNT**

Raph's cheeks are streaked with tears, his knuckles with blood as he pounds his punching bag over and over again. Memories from months ago flash through his head.

Alex, laughing at a payback prank he'd played on Mikey. _"You're terrible,"_ she had told him. _"I know,"_ he'd said in reply.

Two matching pairs of green eyes glittering in the dark as they watched the stars appear in the sky above New York City. _"It's so beautiful,"_ was her whisper. _"Just like you,"_ he'd replied softly.

A blonde crying her heart out because of someone at school. _"Do you want me to pummel them?"_ he asked. She shook her head. _"Just hold me..."_

The day that Leo had threatened to leave because he couldn't deal with Raph's temper anymore. _"He'll forgive you,"_ she murmured. _"Promise me that you'll never leave me,"_ Raph had whispered.

 _"I promise."_

With each punch, Raph imagines that he's obliterating the memories. But the more he tries to erase them, the faster they surge through his mind, images of the two of them together whirling in his thoughts.

He collapses to the floor, weeping. "All this time...why did she come back now? Why did she have to come back?"

 _Maybe this is a second chance,_ a tiny voice says, deep down inside him.

Raph squeezes his eyes shut. "I should hate her," he whispers. "After the way she left...after everything she did to me, I should hate her."

 _But you don't,_ the voice replies. _You still care just as much as you did before._

The hothead swallows, resting his forehead on the cool stone wall of his bedroom. The old feelings of hopelessness and hurt and anger well up, threatening to swallow him whole. When she had left, he was drifting around aimlessly, trying to figure out what he'd done wrong. For weeks, he thought that it was him, that there was something wrong inside himself that scared her off.

But now...

Master Splinter's voice echoes through his mind. _"Let it wash over you like a river over stone."_

With great effort, Raph drags in a deep breath, holds it, and lets it out. A knock sounds on his door.

"Raph?"

"Go away, Mike. I don't want to talk right now."

"It's important, Raph. Please."

When he opens the thick metal door, the hothead is surprised to see his youngest brother holding a yellowed piece of notebook paper. Mikey's expression is one of shame and guilt as he thrusts the paper forwards.

"You need to read this."

Ten minutes later, Raph is slumped on the edge of his bed, head in his hands. "I don't...I don't understand," he whispers. "Everything she did was to protect us?" Mikey nods solemnly. "I messed up," the hothead murmurs. Alex's words swirl through his mind, even as Mikey picks the note up off of the floor and begins to read.

 _Raphael,_

 _Before I say anything else, I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry for what's about to happen. This was the only way I could make sure that you would be safe. The Foot Clan...they threatened to destroy you and your family. The only way I can keep that from happening is to disappear. They want me out of the picture – maybe because they think I could take down their organization or something. I don't know their reasoning. But I can't let anything happen to you...can't let that beautiful fire in your eyes be extinguished. So I'm running away, doing just what they want me to do. It'll hurt you – hurt all of you – but you'll be alive, and that's what matters...even if I never see you again._

 _Don't worry about me. I have some family down in the South...hopefully they'll give me a place to stay for a while. If you guys ever want to find me – I don't know if you will; you might hate me too much -, look for me in the old diners. That'll be your best bet at finding me._

 _I know that you're going to be really angry at me when you realize what I've done, and I know that I deserve that anger. You're going to think that I betrayed you, that I led you on. But I never did. Everything that I ever felt for you was real._

 _I also know that you'll blame yourself, that you'll think there's something wrong with you. That isn't true either. You are an amazing person, whether you're a mutant or not. You are the best guy I could ever hope to meet – more than I ever deserved._

 _If we ever meet again – and I'm hoping that I'll get to see you guys one last time – you'll hate me for what I've done. I know that this will hurt you, but I'm not going to ask for forgiveness. I don't want it, and you probably won't want to give it. But that's okay with me, because as long as you hate me it means you're still here._

 _I have to go now, before anyone wakes up. I'm leaving my T-Phone here so Donnie can't track it – I wish I could see the irritation on his and Leo's faces when they realize I don't have it. Tell everyone that I'm sorry it had to be like this. I really enjoyed the time that I spent with you and your family. You made me feel more alive than I have in years._

 _I love you, Raph. I'll always love you. Remember that._

 _Forever yours,_  
 _Alex_

"Whoa..." Mikey puts the letter down on the nightstand and touches Raph's shoulder, grabbing his attention. "You need to talk to her, bro. Make this right."

Raph inhales slowly. When he breathes out again, his face is set. The hothead stands and makes his way to the lab, where Alex and Donnie are conversing quietly. Alex laughs about something...then freezes when Raph walks up to her.

"We need to talk."


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

They go to one of the only places Raph knows of that his brothers don't: an old drainage junction within the sewers, lit by the moonlight that filters in through several grates. Alex stands silently as she watches Raph pace.

Truth be told, the brunette is afraid. Terrified, even. Terrified that he'll turn away, that he'll sneer at her, that he'll tell her to leave and never come back.

"Are you mad at me?" she asks finally.

It's a moment before he replies. "No...I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at myself. I'm mad for always being nice, always apologizing for things I didn't do, for getting attached, for making you my life, depending on you, wasting my time on you, thinking about you, forgiving you, wishing for you, dreaming of you...but most of all, for not hating you. I know I should, but I just...I just _can't."_

Alex blinks, trying to swallow the lump in her throat. "Raph..."

"And after you left, I wanted you to know a lot of things," he continues, staring at the moon above them. "I wanted you to know how I felt when I was with you. I wanted you to know about the happiness you gave me. I wanted you to know how much you hurt me when you lied. I wanted you to know how I felt when you left. I wanted you to know how everything changed when you were gone!" Raph pauses, taking a deep breath. His eyes glisten with tears. "I wanted you to know that I still loved you," he whispers.

"I never wanted this to happen," she says in a small voice, wrapping her arms around herself in a very un-Alex-like way.

"And you think I did?" Raph drags a hand over his face, settling down onto a low pipe. "I just...I didn't understand why. I was hurt."

"My intention was never to hurt you," Alex says quietly, her gaze downcast.

"I know that now, but at the time..." Some of the old anger surges into the ninja's eyes. "Back then, I told the guys that I hated you. That I never wanted to see your face again."

Alex winces. "And now?" she asks, not yet daring to look at him.

Raph opens his mouth but hesitates. He watches her for a moment, struck by a sudden realization. The next thing he does will cause one of two things to happen. Either he'll forgive her and the shattered reality that she's living in will start to mend, or he'll walk away and everything will be lost. Including his own brother.

So with great deliberation, the turtle raises his hand and places it on her shoulder. "Now," he murmurs, "I wish that you'll never leave."

Those seven words are all it takes to make her cry. Before she can think about what she's doing, she rushes into his arms, burying her face in his neck. "I'm sorry," she says. "I'm so sorry."

Raph can feel her tears dripping down his skin. He wraps his arms tight around her. "It's okay," he whispers.

But when she looks up at him, her eyes huge in the moonlight and her lips slightly parted, he jerks away, knowing full well what she was about to do. Alex's expression becomes hurt, even as the red-masked turtle takes another step back.

"I-I don't think...I'm not ready for that," Raph tells her. "Not yet." _Maybe not ever again._

The words cut deep into her heart and she doesn't want to admit it, but a tiny fraction of her expected that response. "I understand," Alex replies, burying the longing and affection and hurt so deep that she won't even think about it.

Though some part of her still does.

 **TMNT/TMNT/TMNT**

When the two teens return to the Lair, Alex heads straight for her cot in the lab, leaving Raph behind. She can hear his brothers talking to him, asking him how it went and if they made up.

Wincing slightly, she tunes out the voices, willing herself to focus solely on the task at hand. With Raph now on board, nothing stands in the way of waking Leo. To do so, she'll need plenty of rest. But there's something else she needs to do first.

Taking a deep breath, Alex runs a hand across Leo's brow. A familiar tugging sensation overcomes her, and then everything fades away.

"I was waiting for you."

The brunette's pulse skyrockets as Leo appears behind her. She turns around, expecting to see that fearsome rage in his eyes again. But his only expression is one of guilt and hope and something else that she can't put her finger on.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he says, approaching her slowly. "I wanted to apologize for the other day."

Alex swallows. "I'm the one who should apologize," she replies quietly, dropping her gaze to the floor. "I was living under a false name, constantly deceiving you guys. I took advantage of you when I should've told you the truth from the very beginning."

Leo shakes his head. "Alex, there is nothing to forgive. You did what you had to do. And honestly? If I was in your place, I would've done the exact same thing."

The teen lets out a long breath, a weight lifting from her shoulders. "Thank you," she tells him. And she means it.

A strange look crosses Leo's face, too quickly for Alex to decipher. "Can I do something?" he asks suddenly. "Just once. I just want to try it once." Alex blinks at the odd and abrupt question but she nods, acquiescing. "Close your eyes," the leader requests.

Alex does as she is asked, her brow furrowed. "Leo, I don't know what you're trying to-"

But then she can say no more, because Leo's lips are on hers, warm and inviting, his hands steady around her waist. The kiss makes her knees weak, and she moans a little, slipping her arms around his neck.

Then the thought occurs to her. He's kissing her. Leo's kissing her.

Not Raph.

Before _that_ goes any further, Alex locks it away in one of the darkest corners of her mind. Because if she's being truthful, she doesn't want the kiss to stop. With Raph, the kisses were electric and blazing, every bit of her on fire with want, with _need._ But with Leo...

With Leo, everything inside her turns on and shuts down at the same time. She is weak and she is strong. She is terrified and brave. She is lost and found. She is here and gone.

She is finally home.

Eventually, they pull apart, breathless. "Was that...okay?" Leo asks, his voice husky as he studies her face.

Alex's blue eyes are bright, her cheeks flushed. The guilt flashes through her again, but she ignores it. "I don't know," she replies, tracing a line down his cheek. His sharp intake of breath makes her grin. "Why don't you try it again and find out?"

 **Please review.**


	17. Chapter 17

_Hey, guys! It's been a while, I know. I apologize for keeping you waiting - and if you decided not to wait for me anymore and give the story up entirely, I am so, so sorry._

 _I wanted to let you guys know that this crazy ride is almost over - this is the last "chapter"...but there will most likely be an epilogue after this. I don't think I'm quite ready to give up on Leo and Alex yet - and there's certainly bound to be more conflict once Raph finds out about the two of them. Plus, I have another ace up my sleeve...A plot is already appearing in my mind for another book._

 _Let me know if you want me to write a second book! Please!_

 _Without further ado...I present the last actual chapter of "The Girl With Two Faces"!_

 **Chapter 17**

When Alex wakes up, she finds herself lying on the cot, pressed up against Leo's side. She sighs and sits up, trying to relieve the tension in her stiff muscles.

A smile appears on her lips as she notices the faint expression of contentment on Leo's face. The brunette presses a quick kiss to his cheek and moves to find the others.

The ninja are all sitting in the dojo, talking with Master Splinter. But when the teen enters the room, they instantly shift their focus to her.

"It's time," Alex says.

 **TMNT/TMNT/TMNT**

Five minutes later, Alex and the others have gathered around Leo. "Be careful, my children," Splinter warns. "You must do this slowly. Too much transference at once could be very harmful to both you and Leonardo."

"Hai, Sensei," Raph replies. He turns and meets Alex's gaze. Steady. Willing. The same rock that she relied on all those months ago. "Let's do this."

A surge of gratefulness fills the brunette's heart, and she places her right hand on Leo's plastron as Raph does the same. Alex takes Raph's left hand in her own, and together they begin to murmur the incantations.

At first, it seems as if nothing is happening. Anxiety replaces that assuredness, and doubts start to appear in Alex's mind.

 _Am I wrong? All that time, it seemed like this was how I was supposed to do it, but maybe-_

"It's working!" Mikey cries excitedly, and the teen snaps her attention back to the present.

Indeed, Leo's eyelids are fluttering, small moans escaping his mouth. Something inside Alex starts to shift – she can feel the borrowed chi loosen. Raph's voice becomes strained, and she knows that he feels it too.

Pressure builds inside of Alex as the chi starts to pull away. Sweat beads on her forehead, and the hand that's pressed to Leo's plastron begins to heat up. Just before the temperature and the pressure become truly unbearable, the energy releases, flying back into the comatose leader through her right hand.

Alex yanks her hand away, sagging into Mikey's waiting arms. Across from her, Raph pulls back, shaking out his burning palm.

"Leo?" Donnie says quietly, touching his eldest brother's shoulder.

For a heart-stopping moment, nothing happens. Then, Leo's eyes open, revealing deep blue irises sparkling with warmth.

"Leo!" Mikey yells, tackling the leader.

Leo winces at the crushing bear hug. "Easy, Mike-" But his warning goes unheeded as first Donnie, then Raph join their youngest brother in the embrace.

Alex laughs and throws her arms around them all, resting her head on Donnie's shoulder.

And through the crowd of his siblings, Leo meets her gaze, his face softening. _Thank you,_ his expression says. The teen nods in reply, the lump in her throat making it hard to speak. She closes her eyes, caught up in the moment.

Yes, the Shredder will come back. He will try and threaten everything they hold dear. Maybe it'll be today, or tomorrow, or even the next week. But all that matters is what is going on right now. Leo is awake. Raph has forgiven her – for the most part.

So when the tears finally hit, Alex lets them come. Because after all these months, after all the trials that Alex and the others went through, the long nightmare is finally over.

 **TMNT/TMNT/TMNT**

 **So I know that that wasn't a very long chapter, but...the epilogue is coming soon! Please, stick around and find out what evil plans my brain came up with! ;)**

 **If you don't want to read the epilogue, and you're totally fine with the way I sort-of ended this book, then that's fine with me.**

 **To the people who are content to leave Alex and Leo and the others in their present happy state, THANK YOU for reading! It means so much to me that you guys wanted to read my work.**

 **I'll save the rest of the "thank-you's" for the end of the epilogue, haha.**

 **Until next time, guys...COWABUNGA!**


	18. Epilogue

**_So I changed this a little...now there IS a cliffhanger, haha._**

 _Author's Note: Before I finish this story, I just want to thank you. Thank you to those of you who've reviewed (it was amazing that I got to know exactly what you thought about this), favorited, and most of all to the readers en général. It really wouldn't have been possible to do this without you all..."The Girl With Two Faces" would've sat on my 'idea shelf' and got dusty, haha._

 _I want to especially thank **The Red Screech** for being my sort-of mentor through this story. Without you, I wouldn't have finished it. ;) Thank you, Red, for helping me clean up the first few chapters - and giving me some ideas along the way._

 _It has been a major honor and a massive pleasure to write for you guys. I hope that you'll stick around and maybe go check out my other books?_

 _There isn't much more of a way for me to thank you guys, so without further ado..._

 **Epilogue**

"Hey, Alex, you ready to go?"

The twenty-year old chuckles in response to Mikey's question. "I'll be right there, Mike," she calls back.

"You better hurry! Birthday Gyoza waits for no turtle!"

Alex fluffs her hair one more time, straightening her skirt before she opens the bathroom door. She finds the others waiting in the living room - save for Raph, who's already in the tunnel outside of the Lair.

Leo's jaw drops when he takes in her outfit: the black halter crop top and royal blue miniskirt, paired with a matching blue fedora and white Converse. "Ho-ly shell," he whistles.

The brunette flushes, smacking his arm lightly. "Shut up," she mutters.

Leo just laughs, scooping her up into his arms. With Mikey's giggle echoing behind them, the pair head to Murakami's restaurant.

"Welcome, my friends!" comes the blind chef's greeting. He beams when Alex plants a kiss on his cheek. "Happy birthday, Alexandra!"

"Thank you, Murakami-san," Alex replies cheerfully, sliding onto a stool between Leo and Donnie. Immediately, Murakami places a steaming hot platter of Pizza Gyoza in front of her. She doesn't fail to note the way that Mikey's eyes land on her dinner, and she smacks his hand away. "Nuh-uh. Mine."

Beside her, Leo slips a nimble arm around her waist. _Mine,_ he echoes telepathically. Alex turns red again as she senses his thoughts, narrowing her eyes at him mock-threateningly. Another laugh bubbles up from Leo's chest, and warmth radiates from Alex's very core.

A year ago, Alex didn't think that she would be here at this moment. Celebrating her birthday in bustling New York City, surrounded by her friends...and the turtle who she seemed to grow ever closer to since she woke him up.

So as Leo takes her hand and intertwines their fingers, the brunette leans her head on his shoulder, smiling softly. And later that night, when he asks her to be his, she accepts.

The kiss that follows makes Alex melt. She is destroyed. She is remade.

She is finally whole.

* * *

The sickly odor of mildew and rot fills the corridors of the hidden lab, reeking just as badly as the chemicals in front of the formerly human scientist.

"Eazzzy," he murmurs to himself. "Juzzzt the zlightezzzt drop, and-"

And the amber liquid turns a sickly green color, promptly exploding in Stockman's face. He lets out a howl of frustration and knocks the whole mess off of the table. The glass beakers shatter on the floor.

"Argh!" the fly-man yells. "Why doezzz thizzz alwayzzz happen to me? Why can't my experimentzzz work?"

His antennae twitching in anger, Stockman abandons the project and buzzes over to another table...where the files about Sandra Baughman still sit. He glances over them again, something seeming _off_ about the information. With a sneaking suspicion growing in his mind, the scientist carries the papers over to his main desk and puts them down.

Pulling out another old file folder – one that he technically isn't supposed to have – Stockman compares the two sets of documents. When the mutant realizes what he's seeing, his eyes widen, and he rushes from the lab.

"Mazzzter Shredder! Mazzzter!"

The various sentries and servants that Stockman flies past turn away, not bothering to hide the disgust in their expressions. But – for once - none of that bothers him, especially not in the light of his new discovery.

The mutant arrives in the throne room, panting, where he falls at the feet of the Shredder. "Mazzzter," he wheezes. "I found zzzomething that you need to zzzee."

The armor-clad ninja glares at him from atop the throne. "What is so important that you disturbed me?"

His heart thumping, Stockman presents the two files. "Mazzzter, your daughter...your daughter izzz alive."

 **~ The End ~**

Ladies and gentlemen, it has been so amazing to be able to share my work with you. I'll admit that there were times I didn't know if I could finish this story - and I know that it isn't really very long, compared to some others that you've probably read - but you helped me get through it. Every time I saw the view count shoot up, I knew that I had to keep writing...and it paid off.

I've only ever really finished a few fanfictions that I've written (and the ones that I have I'm rewriting anyway), so thank you so much for helping me complete this one. It means so much to me that you wanted to read my work. :)

For all of your reviews, for all the readers (guests and FF users), for everyone who has ever taken the time to read "The Girl With Two Faces"...I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I hope that I'll see you guys around the corner - maybe in my other books. But if not, it has been a pleasure.

Until next time, guys...COWABUNGA!

~ TMNT-Queen

 ** _"Now is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning."_**

 ** _~ Winston Churchill_**


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